


Neko Love - Part 1 - The Youth Centre

by LilDark



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Limes, M/M, Monarchshipping - Freeform, OCs are present but because of lack of useful canon characters, Possible lemons, Romance, Yugi and the gang are side characters, healing each other, mentions of abuse, neko
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:28:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24874642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilDark/pseuds/LilDark
Summary: Together with Yami, Atemu arrives at the local Youth Centre that helps out abused teens while also giving them a roof over their head. With them both being Nekos, their bonding goes a lot easier while they help each other heal prior to love blooming between them. Will it last? Warnings: Monarchshipping, Yami x Atemu, mentions of past abuse, limes and possible lemons. Cross-posted with fanfiction.net
Relationships: Atem/Yami Yuugi, Atemu x Yami, monarchshipping
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all, welcome to something new I'm trying to write, but just want to throw out in the wild to see what will happen to it. So yes, it isn't finished, but I do have a general idea of where I'd like to go with this. So, I hope you'll like to join me on this new adventure.
> 
> That said, there are four things I'd like to point out:
> 
> 1) The title may still change. I am not quite sure yet if I'm fond of this one, as it reminds me on an old fic I once tried to write and this story is not going to be like it at all. There will be some recurring themes, yes, but in entirely different contexts.
> 
> 2) I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!. This story is made by a fan for fans and I hope they'll enjoy reading it.
> 
> 3) You all know by now what kind of writer I am if you've seen me on fanfiction.net. So yes, this story will eventually contain a lot of Monarchshipping, mentions of abuse, a lime (or multiple ones) and perhaps a lemon (which depends on the way this story goes). If you are uncomfortable with any of the above mentioned warnings, please don't read this story.
> 
> 4) This fanfic has been cross-posted with fanfiction.net. It just took me a while to figure out how to post on the Archive, but I think I did it.
> 
> Nothing else comes to mind currently, so thank you for reading this A/N and enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

/\/\/\/\/\

A bushy tail flicked from left to right in seeming annoyance, while fangs were bared in a hiss at the same time triangular ears flattened into thick tri-coloured hair, but if one would look closer they'd see the young teens fear instead of his apparent bravado. His blond bangs touched his cheeks while his rose-red eyes were dark with emotions and he hissed again when the adult escorting him tried to reach for his arm. "Don't touch me", he warned with a threatening baritone voice, which was only answered by a heavy sigh, but it did result in the hand being pulled back. Afterwards, the teen took his bag from the car he had just exited, before he shut the door and followed the older man towards the house and someone else waiting for them at the front.

"This will be your new home for a while, Atemu, that way you can rest up with kids your own age while there will be someone here to take care of you. You'll go back to High School and have a chance to get a hobby or after-school activity. It's all up to you, but these people will take good care of you", the man said, although that had Atemu growl with his fangs bared once more at the same time his tail continued to flick back and forth.

"If it was up to me, I wouldn't be here, so give your lousy pep talk to someone else. Someone who might actually believe you", the tanned teen hissed back angrily in return, before he snapped his teeth at the hand coming closer to reach out to him once more. " _Don't touch me!_ ", he spat with another snarl and if possible, his tail thickened while his cat-like ears nearly vanished in his odd, spiky hair.

"I'm not touching you, Atemu. Please, just calm down, nobody here is going to hurt you", the man said, before he stepped forward to the woman waiting for them at the front door in order to shake hands with her gently. "Hello Mary, it's good to see you again, although I wish it were under different circumstances. Thank you for offering young Atemu a room at the youth centre", he greeted gently and the middle-aged woman smiled gently, before she turned to the teen slowly following his charge towards her.

"It's my pleasure, Harry, you know that and I am happy in taking him in after everything that's happened to him. Hello Atemu, my name is Mary and welcome to Domino's Youth Centre", were her gentle words as she extended a hand towards the young Neko, but he merely growled softly in return while eyeing everything around him carefully. Still, her smile didn't leave her lips as she was met with his hostile reaction, before she turned towards the front door and let everyone inside. Black ceramic tiles spread out throughout the hallway into the entire house, while a wooden staircase led to the first floor, but rose-red eyes only looked at it briefly prior to them moving towards the white walls and its decorations. Two shoe racks were settled underneath a large coat rack, although he hissed in advance as he wasn't going to give up his current possessions without a fight.

Neither adult commented, however, as he was only beckoned to follow them into the living areas of the neat home where his eyes went across the many photos hanging on the identical white walls, while one of his ears flicked towards the sounds coming from within the living room. Yet, he was taken towards the kitchen instead; one which was attached to a large dining area. The table was big enough for the ten chairs surrounding it while a large dresser stood against the wall behind it with several blooming flowers in vases. "Come, sit down and tell me your story", Mary said gently, although the growl wouldn't leave Atemu's throat while he settled down as far away from the adult as possible. Because he did, Harry sighed softly again, prior to taking a file from his briefcase which he handed to Mary gently.

"This is his entire file as far as we've been able to tell, but Atemu isn't very talkative, even though it would help him in the long run", Harry answered with a firm glance towards the tanned teenager, but rose-red eyes merely gleamed threateningly before one of his ears turned into the direction of the livingroom where a few other boys were cheering loudly.

"Yes, the others are having fun and I will make sure you meet them soon, Atemu. Domino's Youth Centre is an all boys home which I own together with Lisa, whom you'll meet later, as well as my husband Harold. Lisa, however, is currently with Emily and another teen your age showing him his bedroom and I hope you'll forgive me in asking if you don't mind sharing it with him. It's big enough for the two of you and there are two separate desks, although almost everyone does their homework at the kitchen table", Mary said kindly as she tried to introduce the house to Atemu, but the teen didn't reply while he merely stared at her and his surroundings.

"I promise I will do everything I can to make you feel welcome here, Atemu, as well as safe and wanted. You can always come to me if you want to talk about things, I won't judge you. I never have with the other boys in the past and I never will in the upcoming future. That I promise too", she continued gently, but the young Neko still didn't answer her, which was why she opened the file gently for a brief look, prior to glancing at Harry. "It's a shame he didn't come to us earlier. Now come, let me show you around", Mary said with a smile as she closed the file again, but kept it firmly in her hands to signal she would read it through later that evening.

"I'm sorry", Harry said, as if that would make everything all right, but the woman didn't answer him while she beckoned Atemu to follow her. His thick tail swished back and forth in warning continuously, however, and he hissed softly as his ears flicked towards the staircase when he could hear someone was about to step on it. His stance tensed even more as he noticed the woman coming down the stairs and although Harry shook hands with her, the young teen didn't let up on his hisses.

"Hi Emily, it's unfortunate to meet you here again, although I'm glad to see you", Harry said, considering that meeting up here meant she had just delivered an abused and broken teen herself. The woman smiled in return as she sympathised with his words, before she glanced at Atemu slightly whose tail only got thicker because she did.

"It is indeed unfortunate, Harry, but that's our job. Getting these teens away from the hurt, even though they shouldn't have experienced it in the first place. Thank you once more, Mary, for taking Yami into your home even though he was an emergency case and I hope the two boys will be able to get along. Although, to be fair, I think they will", Emily said and she smiled kindly, prior to shaking hands with the owner of the centre so she could leave. Harry couldn't help himself as he gave a small frown in curiosity, but he was then asked to follow Mary and Atemu upstairs, even though the tanned teenager only did so when he was allowed to go last.

"It's all right, Atemu, nobody will hurt you here", Harry said again as he glanced back to make sure the young Neko was following them, although he received a hiss in return while rose-red eyes were dark with threatening gleams of emotions.

"Which they told me time and time again at all the other houses I had to go to", Atemu growled back and he glanced around the hallway quickly, before following both adults up to the second floor.

"I promise you, Atemu, nobody in this house wishes to hurt you as they have all been hurt before themselves. They know what it feels like and that's why everybody treats each other with respect. All of you are survivors and there is no one who will say otherwise", Mary replied gently, before they arrived upon the attic which had two doors leading into separate rooms. Yet, rose-red eyes were drawn towards the pale man standing in one of the doorways and he couldn't help himself as he moved both his ears and tail with interest at the other teen as the latter was a Neko just like him. They were mismatched twins altogether, with their near identical tri-coloured hair and chiselled faces which were framed by equally blond bangs. Narrow crimson irises stared back at him while black ears were perched upwards in interest and Atemu noticed the damage done to one of them, whilst the pale man looked at Mary for answers as he caught himself staring.

"Yami, this is Atemu and I hope you two will accept each other as roommates for as long as you live here at the youth centre", Mary said while introducing the two teens to one another. Still, there was no handshake or recognition from either of the teens in regards to them meeting and especially not as another woman exited the bedroom as that caught Atemu's attention with another threatening hiss in warning. "And this would be Lisa, she doesn't live here at the youth centre, but will be here roughly every day to make sure you have everything you need", the first woman continued gently, but rose-red eyes continued to gleam in warning, although they didn't catch the roll of Harry's eyes as they were staring at Lisa instead.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Atemu, and I'm sure we'll get along just fine. Yami, I'm leaving you in Mary's care for the moment so I can watch the mayhem downstairs", Lisa then said gently to the pale Neko and the teen nodded, prior to smiling every so slightly.

"Yes, ma'am", he answered and she smiled in return, although Atemu couldn't help himself for a moment as he watched Yami's tail twitched involuntarily, before he turned towards Harry as the latter tried to reach out to him.

" _Don't touch me_ ", he snarled immediately and took a step back while baring his fangs at the same time the man rose his hands in surrender.

"I wasn't going to touch you, Atemu, I was just trying to get your attention as I'll be leaving you in Mary's care as well. She's a good woman and you can talk to her; which is something I advise you to do. Please behave and take care of yourself, all right?", Harry asked and black ears folded themselves into tri-coloured hair while the bushy tail Atemu carried swayed from left to right.

"I'll take care of myself all right. Thanks for dropping me off", the tanned teen replied with a huff and he watched the small exchange between Mary and Harry, prior to the latter walking down the stairs to see himself out. The woman's eyes fell upon them afterwards, as she led them back into the bedroom. It was a simple, but large one as it covered nearly the entire top floor.

"The both of you will be sharing this floor, which consists of your bedroom and a small bathroom on the opposite side of the staircase. The bathroom is shared between all of us, just like the one from the first floor and there is a small rest room on the ground floor as well. Both of you have a small double sized bed, each a closet, a night stand with two drawers and you will have to share the bookcase in the middle which we hope serves as a divider of sorts. Both of you have a desk, although as I said, most homework is done downstairs", Mary said as she gazed around the room where two large windows let in the last lights of this October day and where one bed was already made up. The other had fresh pillows and a duvet as well as proper sheets waiting for the other teen and Atemu felt a small amount of relief flood in him at the sight of it. A bed was more than welcome, he couldn't deny that, even though he wouldn't speak of it out loud.

"Once you get a little accustomed to living here, you will be put into the cleaning duty schedule which we all participate to. I know it's horrendous, but when we all work together, it will only take roughly an hour or two of your day and either Lisa, Harold or myself will be there to help you out as well. You will never be in it alone, but currently we live here with eight people and that means a lot of mess. It would also be appreciated to keep your own room tidy. Everyone washes their own laundry so nothing can get lost and you'll find a drying rack inside your closets", Mary continued to which both Neko's nodded in understanding and she smiled kindly while showing them the bathroom on their floor. It was simple with a toilet, shower and sink, but it would most definitely do.

"Lights go out at ten during the week and on Sundays, but it's at eleven on a Friday and Saturday night. If you want to go out with friends, you are expected to return before that time. We are strict, but that will only help you in the long run as we want for you all to be on time for your classes at School. As it is, Atemu, Harry has already signed you up and you start upcoming Monday together with Yami and everyone else. The school bus stops in front of the house to pick you up at a quarter past eight, because we're the last stop. If you miss it, you'll have to walk to school and go through detention for it too if you don't make it in time", were her next words and Atemu folded his ears back into his hair slightly as he felt like being imprisoned. Next to him, Yami seemed to be impassive to all the information given to him, except for his swaying tail and the tanned teen glanced around the house as they were given a more formal tour.

It was a big complex, although their bedroom was probably the largest room, even if the livingroom was a close call to it in size. The kitchen was fantastic as well, and Mary explained to them how the pantry worked. That they'd have their own section in it and with their pocket money they were allowed to fill it up with snacks of their choice. The main food and drinks were bought by the adults themselves and Atemu flattened his ears some more as they were expected to help cook their meals, whilst keeping his thoughts to himself about his inability to cook. If he'd try, they might as well take rat-poison instead.

As they entered the livingroom itself, rose-red and crimson eyes fell upon the other teens playing a racing game on the present console, but the screen was paused almost immediately as the four boys turned around to meet the two Neko's glancing at them. "Atemu, Yami, these are the other residents of our home: Luke, Kyle, Alexander and Cho. My husband is still at work, but you'll be able to meet him as he comes home in about an hour from now", Mary introduced them all, but nobody made real efforts to shake hands, although there were some nods shared between the four teens, prior to Lisa calling one of the boys to come and help her with dinner. Another got up as well at the same time to set up the table, which left Cho and Kyle to conclude their race.

"This is our office where I keep track of everything and it would be appreciated if you don't enter it unless you need me or Lisa with something. We are always here for you and you can wake me up in the middle of the night if there are troubles you want to talk about", Mary continued as she showed them the office, where she laid Atemu's file upon one of the desks, prior to leading them back into the hallway to have this conversation a little bit more privately. "There is nothing to be ashamed about and nobody will judge you here. Harold and I will be taking you both out shopping tomorrow for some more clothes and necessities, but everything we could think of has been laid down on your bed to be used. There are fresh toothbrushes, hairbrushes, shampoo and a couple of towels, but if you need something else, just ask and we'll write them down", the woman continued and the tanned Neko gave a faint nod he understood, before his ears turned towards Yami's gentle voice.

"Yes ma'am and thank you", the pale Neko said which Mary nodded to, before she gave them her consent to go back upstairs and finish unpacking. Not that there was a whole lot to unpack, considering it was just him and his bag with the few clothes Harry had already bought for him and Atemu sighed as he glanced around the bedroom some more, before gazing at everything on top of his bed.

"Can we make a deal?", he asked as he turned around to see Yami organising everything through the open bookcase and crimson eyes gazed at him in curiosity while the black tail swayed back and forth.

"That depends on the deal truly", Yami replied as he walked around the bookcase to gaze at Atemu fully and black ears were focused upon him completely which Atemu didn't return as he flattened his own into his hair. Still, he was impressed by the sharp come-back and it almost made him smile if he didn't feel like this was just the next prison he had to get through at the same time the look of Yami's damaged ear made him uncomfortable. He had never been hurt that way before, luckily, but that didn't mean he couldn't feel for the other Neko; if only for a moment.

"We may be sharing a bedroom and bathroom, but I am going to ask you not to pry in my past. I won't tell you anything, but if you don't ask, we won't have any awkward situations and I won't pry into yours. Can we have a deal on that?", Atemu asked while flicking his bushy tail and he tensed as Yami continued to stare at him, before a small smile curled pale lips gently.

"Deal. Not that I'll tell you anything if you'd ask, but you have yourself a deal", the pale Neko answered and Atemu sighed in relief with a nod, before he turned to his bed and decided that making it would be the best course of action for now. The only other problem he currently faced was having to trust Yami on not stealing any of his things, but as he opened the closet again, he told himself it didn't matter if the other Neko wanted his stuff simply because they weren't his to begin with. He had no personal belongings other than what Harry had already bought for him and with that, Atemu hung his jacket away prior to emptying his bag from the little contents it had. A second pair of jeans, his new boxers, a turtle-neck like the one he was currently wearing, a hoodie and a comfortable vest as well as his pair of pyjamas.

It was awkward, that's what it was and Atemu sighed as it irked him. He shouldn't be bothered with the silence in the bedroom and he shouldn't be bothered by having to live in yet another house. He had shared bedrooms before and he had kicked others out of their bunks for being bothersome bastards and he'd do it again if Yami decided to be one of those on his black list. Nosy, annoying and whiny were simply not tolerated and the tanned teen grumbled softly under his breath as he stuffed his pillow into the cover with a little bit more force than was necessary.

Behind him, Yami was still tidying up his side of the room and as they were called down for dinner, Atemu could see the other did have some personal things. A brief glance gave him the sight of a photo where the Neko posed with a younger and human version of himself while a toy laid beside it. Another few had been positioned besides Yami's pillow and there was an extra fluffy blanket covering the end of his roommate's bed as well.

"Your books and homework will be delivered here tomorrow by Emily, she's had word with the school as well as your grandfather and will be able to pick them up for you", Mary said softly as she had come up to collect her new residents and was now leading both teens down the staircase where the smell of food was becoming stronger with each step. "Also, we'd like to know if you two are allergic to something or if there are things you absolutely don't like to eat. Even though there are eight people in this house, which excludes Lisa, we do try to honour preferences whenever we can", the woman continued while she looked at them expectantly and Atemu glanced at Yami briefly while the slender tail had begun to sway from left to right again.

"There is little I don't like, although like all Neko's I don't do well with milk. I need to restrain myself with cheese, but other than that, there are no known allergies", the pale Neko answered and rose-red eyes flashed at the almost... 'pleasing' behaviour, before he sighed as Mary's glance turned to him.

"You eat what's on the table or starve", he commented harshly, although he could still feel the woman's eyes on him to which he crossed his arms in front of his chest defiantly. "What?", he hissed and she gently let Yami out of the hallway and into the kitchen, before addressing him again.

"Atemu, it's all right to be defensive and to protect yourself. It's very common behaviour for boys who have gone through what you have, but please give us a chance? I am only asking these questions for your own health, because I don't want you to fall sick or be hurt otherwise. Really", Mary tried to reason, but the bushy tail had followed up on Yami's swaying while Atemu's ears flattened themselves into his hair threateningly. He was not going to be lured into a submissive position just because of her sweet talk. He'd heard it all before and no one was going to help him but himself. Keeping others at more than just arms-length was going to help with that and he didn't care he hurt her feelings in the process.

"Sure you do, but I said the truth: either you eat or starve", he answered with a final tone upon his voice as he wasn't going to explain it to her in detail. That's what Harry's little report was for so she'd better read that than expect answers from him. Her glance at him was almost enough to say she probably already had and he flattened his ears against his head some more, before watching her nod slowly.

"All right, but please, we are only here to help and there is no reason to bite our heads off yet. We're here to heal, all of us", she said and although Atemu refrained from snorting, he continued to glance at her warily while letting her enter the kitchen and dining room first. Dinner took his mind elsewhere momentarily as it smelled good and he was introduced to a tall man with brown hair and eyes, prior to taking his seat next to Yami's. None other were free and he didn't feel like sitting himself between the other residents either, which was why this chair was perfect the way it currently was. He was even able to curl his tail upon his lap while Mary thanked Alexander for the meal he had prepared with Lisa. The latter had already left the facilities apparently, but the tanned teen didn't care as that gave him one person less to study for their danger-levels.

Dinner was shepherd's pie and Atemu thanked Mary as she handed him his plate; even though he loathed the knowing smile he received from her in return. He didn't need for her to go all therapeutic on him and it was why he actually dreaded tomorrow. At least with Yami around, perhaps she wouldn't ask that many question and he glanced at the Neko slightly, before watching the other teens seated at the table. He bared his fangs at Luke when the latter looked at him in a way he didn't like, before Cho moved forward slightly and with a curious expression on his face.

"So, Atemu, are you from Domino or some place else less boring?", he asked, although he lessened on enthusiasm slightly as Atemu hissed at him with his tail poised upwards.

"Mind your own business", the tanned Neko growled, because he didn't need this. He didn't need them and he most certainly didn't want to answer their stupid questions. He was fine on his own and getting attached to other people was a waste of his time. It was why he focused on his dinner mostly, while grumbling with his thick tail swaying from left to right in both annoyance as well as warning.

"Atemu, truly, it was just a question of interest. Cho didn't mean any harm with it", Harold intervened gently and black ears flicked towards the adult, before the tanned Neko gave another hiss. Still, he didn't reply to the statement, because that too was a waste of his time and Atemu therefore shoved another spoonful of food into his mouth. It had been a while since he had eaten this well and eating something now he still could was his top-priority. "How about you, Yami? Would you like to share where you're from?", Mary's husband asked with a curious glance towards the pale Neko, who stopped eating half-way with a small swish of his tail.

"I'd rather not, thank you", Yami replied with a gentle firmness to his voice and it was received by a small nod, before Harold questioned the other teens about their day at school. The conversation appeared to be a pleasant one, but Atemu didn't participate as he kept his attention on both his food as well as everyone seated at the table. He'd get to study Yami a little more later to indicate if he was a threat or not, but these people had to be seen to right now. He tried to remember the way they moved, so he'd know who'd come up the stairs if he'd had to protect himself and Atemu continued to watch even while the others emptied their plates with Luke asking for seconds.

Desert was delicious too, with different cakes they could choose from as well as toppings, but he wouldn't be swayed that easily. All homes hid something from the world, may it be abuse or not... He'd find out what mattered in this house soon enough and after he had put his plate away inside the dishwasher, he made his way back upstairs for a shower. The lights wouldn't go out until eleven tonight, but that didn't mean he was going to sit in the livingroom with everyone else like a good little pet. Besides, he could definitely use a shower and after locking the door behind himself, Atemu sighed as he enjoyed the sudden peace and quiet inside the small bathroom.

Hanging the towels upon the available hook, he twitch his nose at the different smells of cleaning detergent mixing with shampoo and bleach, which made him swish his tail in slight annoyance as they gave him a headache. Getting undressed, he glanced in the mirror for a small moment after weighing himself and he sighed as he hoped to add some to it soon. Yesterday he'd been in another home of sorts, one that hadn't asked as many questions, because he'd move rather quickly again and Atemu sighed as he was glad they had at least fed him properly. Neko's needed food, even though some continued to call them gluttons, and he sincerely hoped this house knew what they were doing. After all, he hadn't seen any kind of Neko among the photos in the hallway and the tanned teen grumbled once more while ignoring his reflection.

There were only a few scars upon his body, as bruises faded without leaving evidence, but there was one scar circling his neck while another ran across his lower back near the base of his tail. Someone had been just in time before he'd been mutilated and Atemu glared at his reflection, before he stepped into the shower to get it warmed up. Being hit by the warm spray, no matter how welcome, made him flatten his ears to prevent water from getting into them while he tucked his tail between his legs as well. He wasn't exactly a fan, even though he appreciated the clean feeling afterwards, no matter the fact he kept shaking his head to protect his ears.

Dressing himself back up in his turtleneck, together with the bottoms of his pyjamas after towelling himself dry, he was very glad winter was about to arrive soon as the outfit would have been too warm otherwise. This day, no matter the fact it was the middle of October, had been exceptionally well and tomorrow would be too, prior to everything crashing down again with more rain than he'd like to stand in. Although that was a worry for later, as he watched Yami carefully when entering their shared bedroom, but the latter had merely laid down upon his bed with a toy upon his chest at the same time he held a phone up to his face. As soon as he entered, however, crimson eyes flicked towards him and Atemu couldn't help himself as he tensed with his tail curling tightly behind him.

"Would it be all right if I use the shower?", Yami asked while sitting up slowly and the tanned teen had to fight against raising his eyebrows, before he stepped away from the door.

"Sure, it's not exactly mine", he answered with his tail still tightly curled behind him while he pulled the drying rack from his closet so he could hang his towels away. Yami, however, merely smiled at him while he turned his phone off and got off the bed.

"I know that, mr. Obvious, but I was just asking in case you weren't finished yet. I could wait a moment longer if that's necessary", the pale Neko replied and he didn't shy away when rose-red eyes glared at him. It only made him tilt his head while he still smiled and Atemu sighed as he couldn't deny that was a fair thought.

"No, I'm done, mr. Comeback. Are we supposed to be downstairs though or can we lounge up here?", the teen asked while he prayed he could do the latter, considering he was tired and he wouldn't mind getting an early shut-eye. It was why his lips twitch up in a very small smile as Yami's own brightened for no apparent reason.

"No, we can stay here and do whatever we want. Some of the other guys have also gone up to their room, with Alexander saying he had to study for his upcoming math test this Monday. After I've showered, I'd like to just lie down for a bit and see if sleep will come early, but you can have the lights on and do whatever you want. I don't mind", was the gentle answer and Atemu frowned this time as he wasn't sure what to think of those words, but he gave a small shrug afterwards. Obviously he'd do as he pleased, although sleep sounded good and he watched Yami for a moment as the latter gathered his things, prior to him leaving for the bathroom.

Lying down on his own bed, Atemu glanced at the white ceiling with a small frown, before he sat up and glanced at Yami's side of the room through the open bookcase that would probably be filled up with their books for school after either tomorrow or Monday. Yet, rose-red eyes couldn't help themselves as they glanced at the toys upon Yami's bed as well as the phone upon his nights stand. Did the other Neko already trust him? Or was he just careless?

 _Or_ , Atemu's mind offered as he laid down again to stare at the ceiling, _perhaps he's a decoy to make me feel comfortable... To make me open up_ , were his continued thoughts and he snorted as he'd not let that happen. He didn't have time for friendly things and he didn't want to be attached to someone who would ultimately leave him alone or hurt him when he'd be vulnerable. He wouldn't let that happen again, not like the first time he thought he'd find a home and Atemu sighed as he tried to steer his mind away from those moments. Especially as they turned his mood even more sour than it already was, until he sat up with a hiss and surprised gasp when Yami entered the room again.

"Sorry", the pale Neko immediately offered while he held his wet towel into his hands and Atemu took another deep breath, before shaking his head slightly.

"No, it's all right. I was just lost in thoughts and I hadn't heard you coming back", he answered while feeling stupid, because it wasn't Yami's fault that they, as Neko's, were more silent than the normal human beings walking the earth. It had just been irresponsible of himself to get sidetracked with his memories. Still, crimson eyes were gleaming with guilt and they glanced away slightly at the same time their owner made his way towards the closet.

"Well, I could have made a noise to alert you instead of nearly giving you a heart-attack. I also went downstairs to say we'd stay up and try to go to bed early, just so Mary or anyone else wouldn't disturb us, although she said our bathroom might be used by someone else. It depends on who goes to bed and at what time", Yami clarified, but Atemu shrugged again as he was quite possibly tired enough to sleep through any kind of commotion like a rock. At least, that's what he told himself, because he knew he'd wake up at even the smallest of sounds in order to protect himself if he had to.

"Still, you're a Neko and that means you make as less noise as possible simply because we can. It's fine, you don't need to apologise", Atemu repeated, because he couldn't expect someone else to treat him like glass and to be fair: he didn't want for people to look at him that way either. He was a person, who was currently stuck in a house with a therapeutic mum, her husband and her other four semi-adopted kids. Although yes, technically she had five other kids, but the tanned Neko left his look-a-like out of the equation for a moment as Yami had only arrived today as well. He was no more a part of this 'family' than Atemu was and even though he wouldn't admit it out loud, that kind of put the other teen in the same boat as him.

"Mh, I do try not to make a noise... instincts, I guess", Yami replied with a small smile as he hung his own towel to dry, before he made his way back towards his bed.

"Survival ones", Atemu whispered in return as he understood the hint and crimson eyes watched him through the open bookcase while black ears were turned towards him in interest. It made the tear in one of Yami's ears all the more visible and the tanned Neko revoked his thoughts about his roommate being a decoy to gain his cooperation about him having to talk of his past. Or of other personal things and it made him smile slightly as that was actually a relief to his suspicious mind.

"Probably", Yami whispered just as softly, prior to nibbling his lip. "Do you want to sleep with the door open or closed and do you want for me to turn the lights off or shall I leave them on?", was his next question and Atemu returned the nibble, before he turned the light on his night stand on gently.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to sleep with the door closed so I'll wake up when someone opens it and I'd prefer to go to sleep in a bit. If you don't mind turning the lights off, then yes please", the tanned Neko replied as he made up his mind, especially as he had nothing else to do because he had no possessions like a phone or gaming console. Not that he needed one, for as the lights went out with only the small ones burning, he could feel how tired he really was and it was why he turned his own light off as well while curling up underneath the covers of his bed.

Warmth, he hadn't known that for a while aside from the night he had spend at the other place prior to arriving at this house and Atemu took a deep breath as he enjoyed it surrounding him comfortably. Until his nose twitch slightly when a new smell entered it and the tanned Neko sat up slightly to see Yami spraying something on top of his sheets gently. Both the Neko's eyes gleamed in the single light offered to them from Yami's night stand and Atemu tilted his head as he tried to make out what currently filled the room.

"What are you doing?", he eventually asked as he gave up, because he was too tired to actually care and Yami glanced at him with another apologetic smile, before showing him the bottle slightly.

"I'm spraying my sheets with a dilution of several herbs that help me calm down so I can sleep easier. Does it bother you?", the pale Neko asked, but Atemu shook his head as he laid down again with the pleasant scent in his nose.

"No, actually, not at all. If it helps you sleep, spray away", he replied gently, because everyone deserved a peaceful kind of sleep. Even if it was with the aid of herbs or several toys and a thick blanket and Atemu glanced at his roommate slightly as the latter tried to hide himself in his self-created nest; which he suddenly realised as being Yami's habit. Hiding, not wanting to be a bother, shielding himself, being silent... All of them were survival instincts at work and the tanned teen felt a little bad about thinking the pale Neko could have been a decoy. It almost made him apologise, but Atemu decided against it when the last light was turned off as well and because he was sure his mind was just filled with calming herbs. They worked wonderfully, however, and rose-red eyes closed of their own accord with their owner's breath evening out slowly as sleep claimed him.

/\/\/\/\/\


	2. Magicians vs Gravekeepers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone and welcome back to another chapter! I hope this chapter will be just as enjoyable for you as I had writing it. I had a great time reviewing Duel Monster cards (at least, the ones I know of) and it was an easy write too.
> 
> That said: there is a duel in this chapter and I sincerely hope everyone will be able to keep up as much as possible. I have taken the information from the game Duel Links which I play almost every day on my phone and that is why you'll see Yami and Atemu playing with a twenty-card deck and a few different rules in regards to the amount of allowed monsters and spell/trap cards on the field.
> 
> For now, however, Yami plays with a Dark Magician deck and I have given Atemu a Gravekeeper's one, it seemed to be the most fitting for him. It was especially a lot of fun to test the Gravekeeper's deck inside the game and I must admit: it had a better win rate than Dark Magician (which is not the usual deck I play with at all... Ahem- I like the fire power three Blue Eyes have and the easy summon rate too).
> 
> But, I've let my mind wander too far with these rambles. Hopefully you will enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it.

/\/\/\/\/\

Pain normally didn't exist in dreams, but he could feel it either way as his memories were filled with the horrid moments and Atemu gasped as he was lost in the darkness of his own mind while images tumbled over one another. He couldn't even recognise some of them as the images went by too quickly, but they hurt and terrified him either way. They made him whimper as he tried to hide underneath the staircase, but they found him and beat him until he screamed. Monsters swarmed him as he tried to fight them off and run, but he couldn't. He was frozen, his own legs didn't work and he cried while begging for everything to stop.

"Atemu!", was the call of his name as there was another touch and he struggled as he tried to find a new place to hide, but he couldn't as they held onto him and he swung his arm out which was caught in a tight grasp immediately. "Atemu!", the voice called out once more and he cried as the images were shaking him. They were hurting him and shaking him and calling his name-

With a gasp, the tanned Neko sat up and he hissed as he sank his teeth into the assailant shaking him whilst someone called his name again. The light was painful to his eyes as they tried to take in where he was and he gasped for breath through his nose while he could taste blood upon his tongue. The whimper he heard wasn't his own, however, and Atemu shuddered while his ears flattened themselves against his head at the same time he gained his bearings. "Ssh, Atemu, it's all right. It's just me, Yami... you had a nightmare", were the soft words helping him understand the situation and slowly, even though the hurt had already been done, he released the pale Neko.

"Yami, I-", he started softly, although he couldn't believe himself for having bitten the other teen and he gasped at the blood gathering in his roommate's pyjamas while crimson eyes were staring at him warmly.

"It's all right, it was a nightmare. I'll just clean it up in the bathroom while you get your bearings back, so don't worry about it", Yami said as he gently released Atemu in order to get up, but the tanned Neko followed his actions immediately.

"Let me help you, it's a hard to reach spot with just one hand and it must hurt... I'm really sorry, you didn't have to wake me", Atemu whispered with his ears flattening in his hair guiltily, but Yami shook his head while gently applying pressure to the wound in the crook of his neck and shoulder.

"I couldn't let you suffer through a nightmare, so don't you dare say I shouldn't have woken you up. They are cruel and if I can end one, I'd happily do so. I'll be fine", he replied and Atemu could catch the gleam of discomfort in the glowing crimson irises, which only made him feel more guilty than he already was.

"Please, let me help you?", he asked again, because he didn't know how to make up for his mistake otherwise and he was relieved when Yami actually let him, before leading him towards the bathroom. As the latter opened the few buttons of his top in order to barely reveal the wound so the other wouldn't see more skin than necessary, Atemu opened every cupboard and drawer he could find while he let warm water pool into the sink. Yami's own black ears flattened themselves slightly as he cleaned the abused skin with a wet rag gently, but the pale Neko still managed to smile at him as well.

"Thank you for waking me", Atemu whispered as he gently cleaned the wound so it wouldn't get infected and he gave the tiniest smiles of his own when Yami continued to do so himself.

"You're welcome, Atemu and I'll do it again if you have another one, no matter the fact you bite a bit", the pale Neko replied with a soft chuckle on his voice, before he purred in discomfort with a wince marring his face. It made the tanned teen beside him purr softly as well, albeit in reassurance, before he gently dried the pale skin so he could apply a large gauze across the four puncture wounds he had created. Gently, he taped the piece of cloth so it wouldn't move, prior to washing the wet rag in the sink at the same time Yami dressed himself up again.

"Thank you for taking care of it, Atemu... You're right, I wouldn't have been able to do it with just one hand", the pale Neko said while he did the last of his buttons, although the tanned teen didn't feel like he had just done something good. He had done it because it had been his wrong-doing from the start and that's why he gave a small shrug as he wasn't sure what to say in return. He was still shaken from his nightmare, but he was glad Yami didn't press the matter while leaving the bathroom so they could go back to sleep. Not that either teen seemed very eager on it and the pale Neko sighed softly as he curled himself up underneath his blankets again while leaving the light on.

"Do you mind if I leave it on?", Yami asked softly while he glanced at his roommate and he was almost afraid Atemu would say 'yes'. Yet, rose-red eyes watched him carefully, before the teen shook his head and crimson irises shone with relief while their owner sniffed his sheets slightly. He could still smell the herbs while the light upon his night stand calmed him down as well and he took a deep breath as he nuzzled his pillow some more too in order to get comfortable.

Which was harder than he thought it would be, considering he had always shared a room with his brother and Yami glanced at the photo on his night stand, before his ears moved towards a sound coming from downstairs. His shoulder stung a little, but not enough to be bothered by it and he'd clean his pyjamas in the morning; not the middle of the night. Still, there were new sounds he had to listen to and remember as being safe while Atemu's breathing in the room helped to calm him down somewhat. It meant he wasn't alone and that he didn't have to fight anyone else off by himself either because the other teen wasn't a heavy sleeper like his brother.

At another sound, he could feel his heart rate rising together with his breath and Yami trembled while breathing in the scent of his sheets once more. What was the sound? Where did it come from? As he tried to listen, he could feel his panic rising while the shadows in the room seemed to grow and shift to odd shapes. It made breathing harder and he quickly sat up while gasping for breath as if he had been choked. He startled Atemu with his behaviour, but the other teen merely glanced at him worriedly, before he sat up slowly as well.

"You okay?", the tanned Neko asked softly, because he didn't want to pry, but he had heard the panicked breath as if Yami had been chased by a monster. Which was possibly true and crimson eyes looked at him slightly hrough their open bookcase, before his roommate nodded slowly.

"Yes, it's all right. I just got freaked out by a sound from downstairs, that's all", Yami whispered in return while curling his tail around him for comfort at the same time he could feel his breathing go back to normal. Still, as he laid down again, no matter how tired he was, he felt his body fighting against it like it would do on occasion. It made him tense and panic for no apparent reason other than him simply being afraid of what he'd see when he'd close his eyes, which was why he turned onto his side to open the drawer of his night stand. Gently, the pale Neko retrieved a box from it and he opened it after sitting up more properly. Yami couldn't help but smile as he carefully retrieved the set of cards from within the box, prior to fluffing up his pillow so he could lean against it. Shuffling through the cards, he glanced at them and the images upon them, before making small stacks upon his sheets.

His ears flicked towards Atemu gently as the teens breathing evened out ever so slightly, but he simply couldn't follow as he paired the monsters each on a different pile, prior to setting the green and pink cards on separate ones as well respectively. Another sound caught his attention too, which made him freeze until he had marked it as not threatening and Yami sighed softly while he continued to shuffle through the cards gently at the same time he let a part of his mind wander. Moving into a new home was definitely more nerve-racking than he thought it would be when he'd been taken from his old one and the pale Neko nibbled his lip as he glanced at the photo atop his night stand again.

He wondered what his brother was currently doing, if Yugi was asleep like usual or lying awake because of everything that had happened today. It made him pick up his phone gently to look at the text messages he had received and replied to prior to taking a shower and Yami sighed as he wasn't sure what to think of his current situation. The woman was strict, yes, but understandably so because rules gave them structure and he could understand that some people needed that. He didn't mind, as he had lived with rules all his life and he could easily adapt to them because they were here to help him. Dinner had been good too, albeit a little too salty and Yami couldn't help himself as he glanced at his sleeping roommate slightly. The soft side he had just now witnessed was a stark contrast to Atemu's defensive nature he had shown during the day and pale lips curled up in a smile, before their owner glanced down at his cards again.

If anything, he surmised, Atemu was far more a Neko than he was and not afraid to show it too. That was, oddly enough, making him a little jealous... although he didn't want to know why his roommate had become the way he currently was. Soft when he was probably sleepy, but defensive and guarded when he was awake. His bite had definitely hurt, but he couldn't blame the other for trying to protect himself. Especially not in the middle of the night, where monsters lurked and where those who wanted to hurt you would wake you up. They'd take you away from the safety of your bed in order to cause pain others weren't allowed to see. It was why he couldn't sleep and Yami flattened his ears into his hair, while the damaged one cooperated only half-way. It would never be able to do the things his good one could and that hurt more than the judging stares he would always receive when people met him for the first time.

Gasping softly as he nearly got a heart-attack himself, Yami glanced at his roommate when the latter suddenly sat up straight with a shuddered inhale of breath. His rose-red eyes were wide in panic and Atemu was trembling as he glanced around the room, before he sighed softly and rubbed his face with his hands. "Sorry", he murmured while trying to calm down with his heart still thumping in his chest and the pale Neko swallowed, before he tried to smile in reassurance.

"Don't be sorry... If I had known, I would have woken you up again", he whispered in return, but Atemu glanced at him through the open bookcase for a moment, before he sighed with a shake of his head.

"No need to... I was able to wake myself up before the horror would begin this time. Luckily I realised I was dreaming", the tanned teen replied softly and Yami glanced at him in surprise, before setting the cards in his hands down slightly.

"You can wake yourself up from your dreams?", he asked and although he didn't want to talk about it, Atemu nodded in answer prior to looking away.

"Yeah, sometimes", he answered with a shrug and he was glad his roommate could read his body language so well, because they were the same species. Crimson eyes were still gleaming with curiosity, but Yami left the topic at that as he then turned to think about it himself and Atemu sighed as that was most appreciated. He didn't know why he could do it, after all, or how he had gained the ability... He just could, as soon as he realised he was dreaming, and it had come in handy far more often than he could count on both hands. Still, with this second nightmare also came the need to stay awake a moment longer and he sighed as he rubbed his face again while trying to think of something to do. Anything that wouldn't make a noise, but without any personal belongings, there was really little he could think of.

Glancing at Yami again, simply because that gave him something to do, he watched how the latter gently continued to sort through his stack of cards over and over again. He had finally gone through the biggest one and was now sorting through another to make six separate piles once more. His stare was noticed, however, when Yami looked up and tilted his head in curiosity. "What are you doing?", Atemu asked defensively in response to the glance he received without waiting for the other teen to judge him for his staring.

"Sorting, it calms my mind. The game is called Duel Monsters, do you know it?", Yami asked in return as he showed one of the cards from afar, but Atemu could only make out the yellow-brownish outlining and the image of a monster as the text was too small to read from that distance. Still, he shook his head as he hadn't had the time to be interested in games and Yami nibbled his lip slightly as he glanced back at the card himself.

"What's it about?", Atemu asked, considering anything to keep his mind off of sleep would do at the moment and Yami glanced up again, before he collected the cards gently. It made the tanned Neko frown slightly in worry, as he wasn't sure if what he said was wrong, before his roommate moved to get off the bed.

"Can I come over to show you?", the pale teen asked with his ears perched upwards in interest and Atemu nodded as he moved while Yami took his own blanket and the box filled with cards with him. He was smiling in excitement and rose-red eyes watched the other for a moment, as if he too was glad to have any kind of distraction away from sleep for a moment. "Duel Monsters is a turn-based card game in which each player wields a deck filled with monsters", Yami started as he picked the cards from his box, " as well as spell and trap cards in order to win from their opponent", he concluded while showing Atemu different images.

"Each player starts with either four-thousand or eight-thousand lifepoints and the goal is to get them down before you lose your own", the pale Neko continued gently while smiling as he showed Atemu the different monsters and their attributes as well as the spell and trap cards he currently had within the box. He also explained both versions of duelling, either with a forty-card deck or a twenty-card one, prior to showing his new roommate some combinations between cards to make it easier to understand them.

"You play this game often?", Atemu asked as he stared from one image to another, though he was highly interested and tried to see the connections between the cards. Yami hummed softly as he looked at the cards as well, prior to smiling with a fondness the tanned Neko hadn't seen before.

"My brother and I play this game very often, either at High school with our friends or with strangers we meet. I also tend to play the game on my phone, because then I can challenge people on an international level, but I still prefer it to play face-to-face the most. It's far more fun to actually see your opponent and to find out if he's bluffing or if he'll run you over in the next move", Yami answered and Atemu hummed softly in understanding, before he glanced at another set of cards. "Yugi, my brother, joins in on tournaments every now and then, which are a lot of fun to go to. We live- well, _I_ lived above a game shop, but even the locations at the tournaments were able to get us excited and spend our pocket money because there would be exclusive deals or trades we could engage in to help out other fanatics like ourselves", the pale teen continued and he gently picked up a card of his own which had a magician on it in purple robes.

"You really like this game... Did you ever win a tournament?", Atemu asked as he placed the cards down and crimson eyes looked up, prior to Yami nodded.

"Both my brother and I have won several tournaments whenever we decided to enter. We don't do it that often, because of our predisposition of living above a game store. Sure, we bought all the cards ourselves, but people will still look odd at you as soon as they figure out where you live", the pale Neko answered with a small shrug, although he looked up in curiosity when Atemu snorted in disdain.

"People are crazy, unless you cheated on everyone while acquiring these cards?", he asked and he smiled as Yami shook his head in answer.

"No, not at all, but there are plenty of people who do which is why the judgement is there either way. No, both Yugi and myself are 'clean' collectors", was the reply while the pale teen chuckled softly, although that just made Atemu shrug because he had been right all along. Not that it was difficult to be right, considering his roommate really loved the game and he didn't seem like the type who would cheat either in order to gain his accomplishments. Sure, he could still be wrong, because they had only now begun to talk and it was just a single subject, but Atemu tried to tell himself he had developed a certain feeling to measuring people the right way. It had warned him correctly on more than a few occasions.

"Can you teach me?", he heard himself asking, however, without really knowing why. Sure, it was better than falling asleep with new nightmares, but he had also told himself he wouldn't get attached. He had no time for this, but it was night and what else did he have to do? Staring at the ceiling wasn't exactly a good option either as that was just a blank canvas for his mind to project all his memories on and if he had to be honest: Yami's enthusiasm was contagious and Atemu felt himself smile when his roommate did.

"Yeah, sure! There are enough cards in here to make two functioning decks, but do you really want to? You don't have to if you think you need to entertain me", the pale Neko answered and he chuckled softly in embarrassment when Atemu snorted to cast his comment aside.

"Trust me, I'm not here to entertain anyone, but sleep is currently not an option. So, unless you want to have some sleep, I am here out of my own volition and ready to learn how to play this game", was his answer as he gazed at the cards and Yami smiled while he was glad they were both given a double bed to sleep on. That also made Atemu's mattress big enough, so he could laid down all the different cards they could choose from while they were huddled into their blankets with their tails curled up on their laps.

"Would you like to go with a twenty or forty-card deck?", Yami asked while he placed all the monsters cards atop the mattress so Atemu could choose from them.

"How about twenty? I know you said those duels don't last as long, but I'd just like to try this game before it overwhelms me", was the soft reply and both teens chuckled softly, before Yami nodded as he retrieved a folded game mat from within the box as well. Unfolded, it showed Atemu where the cards were to be placed if he wanted to play them, although he also got a gentle explanation from his roommate on how to use it properly.

"While we play with a twenty-card deck, we only use these spaces for three monsters, three spell- or trap-cards, a probable field spell card, the extra deck, the graveyard and the deck itself", Yami said and he smiled as Atemu nodded in understanding. "Now, I usually play a Dark Magician, Aromage or Gravekeepers deck, but because I didn't bring all of my cards as I had to move out quite suddenly, there is only enough for a semi-functional Magician as well as a Gravekeepers deck. Which one would you like?", the pale Neko asked as he pointed at the cards that would normally be used in either deck and he allowed for Atemu to read the context, prior to his roommate choosing the one for Gravekeepers.

"All right, well, as I said: these decks will only be semi-functional because I don't have all the necessary cards with me right now. But, because we're playing with twenty cards per deck, the odds are a little better than with forty cards. So, all you have to do right now, is create your deck by choosing the cards you want to play with and the ones that correspond well with each other. This one, Necrovalley, is one of the more important cards for this deck and you'll like this fusion card as well as Gravekeeper's Spiritualist", Yami said while he pointed at a few cards, but all Atemu really saw was how seamlessly the pale Neko put his own deck together. He didn't even have to look at what cards to use and tanned lips twitched slightly in a smile as he admired it. Plus, a small competitive side he hardly knew he had, wished he could do the same.

Yet, he was bound to read every card which would correspond with the deck and luckily only had to add a few non-related ones to make up for the missing ones. Gently, he shuffled them all, prior to placing the deck down on its corresponding position and he glanced at Yami who had done the same with his own cards. "Do you know rock-paper-scissors?", was the soft question as rose-red eyes fell upon the other teen and Atemu nodded while he held out his fist to try and conquer the first turn.

"But don't go easy on me", he warned and Yami smiled as he shook his head in promise, before he was given the first turn by having paper over rock. "All right, we both draw four cards and because it's my first turn, I only get to play with these four, which means I'll place this card in face-down defence position and this card face-down as well", the pale Neko explained, before he ended his turn and made sure Atemu drew from his deck, prior to starting his turn.

"I play this card face-down in defence position as well as these two cards, both face-down as well", were the soft words after Atemu had read each card over and over again to make sure he'd do it right, for even though he didn't know all of the rules, he didn't want to look like a screw-up either. Yami merely smiled while he gave his roommate all the time in the world to make sure he had it right, before accepting his turn by drawing a card from his deck.

"Very well, I tribute summon this card: the Dark Magician Girl by offering my face-down monster and I place another card face-down in the spell- and trap-card zone. Now, I will attack your set monster with my own", Yami declared after he finished his move and Atemu nodded, prior to turning his card with the image face-up. It wasn't destroyed, however, as it was Gravekeeper's Spy with 2000 defence points and tanned nostrils flared slightly as their owner sighed with relief.

"The effect, Atemu, it activates", Yami prompted and he smiled as a dark blush covered his roommate's cheeks immediately, before he nodded and grasped his deck gently.

"Right, sorry", the tanned Neko muttered, but his roommate didn't comment on it while he searched his deck for a monster he could use. Frowning slightly, he tilted his head as he wasn't sure which one he could actually choose from and he glanced up at Yami with a nibble on his lip. He new it had to be a Gravekeeper's card with 1500 or less attack point and he sighed as he tried to decide which one would come in handy.

"What's in your hand?", Yami asked gently and Atemu glanced up at him to see if the latter was joking, but the pale teen was serious and it was why he decided to show his roommate what he already had. This was for learning purposes, right? Did it matter if he'd win or not? "So, you have one other Gravekeeper's in your hand, but nothing else that can help you out. What you can do is summon Gravekeeper's Priestess in order to get the Necrovalley effect on your side of the field or you can go for Gravekeeper's Spiritualist, although you can't activate her effect for the fusion summon. Did you add Gravekeeper's Nobleman or Descendant or Guard?", Yami asked and he watched how his roommate went through his cards to pick out the three of them.

"That should help you decide", were his gently words as he smiled and sat back again, to which Atemu gave a small grin as he was glad the pale Neko didn't chew it out for him. Just a small hint and he glanced at the offered cards to him, before he decided to summon Gravekeeper's Descendant as that card could help him destroy the Dark Magician Girl in his next turn by tributing his Spy. Yami merely watched him conclude his choice and Atemu nodded as he was certain this was the best one for now, before he shuffled his deck once more in order to get their duel back on track. Yami ended his turn after his attack and the tanned Neko gently drew a card, before executing his latest plan in order to get rid of Yami's stronger monster.

Afterwards, he turned his trap card, which was 'Rite of Spirit' to special summon the spy back to his side of the field while also summoning a Gravekeeper's Heretic for enough attack points to take out all of Yami's life points. Which was why he turned to the battle phase and although there were two face-down cards on the other field, the tanned Neko decided to take the gamble. "I attack first with my Spy", he said and Yami nodded as he wrote down the loss, prior to accepting his second one from the Descendant. Yet, as Atemu gave the order for the Gravekeeper's Heretic to attack, the pale teen turned his trap card over.

"This is Draining Shield with which I can negate your attack and gain lifepoints equal to your monsters attack, so thank you", Yami said with a grin and Atemu chuckled as he was glad the other didn't give up without a fight.

"You're welcome", he answered and the pale Neko laughed as well, before he drew his next card from his deck. He smiled as he did, prior to revealing his face-down card.

"I activate Magician Navigation to summon the Dark Magician from my hand as well as a another one from my deck due to the second effect of my trap card. Then I activate Magic Formula, which is an equip-spell card that gives one of my Magicians a boost of 700 attack points. That makes it 3200 and with that one, I attack your spy for 2000 damage points and with my second Dark Magician I will destroy your Descendant for another 1000 points", Yami said and Atemu exhaled deeply while writing down the fact he only had 1000 life points left to live with and he wasn't sure if his next card would give him the victory he hoped for. Still, he drew it, prior to setting it face-down while he also moved his Gravekeeper's Heretic to a defence position.

"That's all I can do", he whispered and he smiled because, while he was about to lose, he still had fun. It was fun to see how cards could work together to boost one another or to give the player an advantage and he continued to smile while Yami summoned Skilled Magician, prior to wiping the floor with him. "Could I have done it differently?", was his question as they rounded up their cards and he gently glanced at every one he had used, or not used for that matter, before he felt relief flood him as his roommate shook his head.

"No, because if I hadn't drawn the Dark Magician, you would have had the advantage of destroying my face-down card with the Descendant. If you had been able to do that, it would have been game for you, so it's all a bit of luck I'm afraid", Yami answered while he shuffled his deck gently and Atemu followed while nibbling his lip.

"Would you mind if I try again?", the tanned Neko asked and he smiled slightly, which he'd already done more than he thought he'd ever had in his entire life, when his roommate nodded his consent. It made his curiosity, as well as his competitive side and his smile, remain while he shuffled his deck with new-found interest in the game. What cards would he pull this time? Would he be able to win?

"We can play for as long as you want, Atemu, until we fall asleep really", Yami commented as he was long glad his roommate was enjoying himself and he had to admit, he wasn't as afraid of the dark this way either. Yes, the calming herbs helped him, but being in good company did too and he was glad to see Atemu was more than just a hissing, almost feral, Neko. There was a soft side to him as well, which he probably didn't like to show and it was why Yami didn't comment on seeing it either. There was no reason to estrange his roommate from him again and the pale teen was very content in just watching Atemu find his way through the puzzle that was his new deck while both their ears were wary upon catching every sound their new home made. Was there danger or was it just a noise? He couldn't always tell, but with the other Neko beside him, he felt safer than he'd done in quite a while.

Which he knew was all just in his head, he really knew that, but it didn't matter for the moment while they played their duel with as much fun as their previous one. Atemu nearly had him on his knees with this second round, although it already flowed better than the previous one as if the tanned teen was getting comfortable with his cards and as they played their third round, rose-red eyes gleamed with relief as their owner was able to turn a functional trap card against Yami's attack for the first time. Not that it truly mattered, as he was facing doom and despair once more and he nibbled his lip as he almost prayed his deck would give him a good card this time.

"Sometimes, one turn is all you need", the pale Neko whispered softly in encouragement and his roommate looked at him for a moment, before inhaling dramatically as he reached for his deck and drew the top card. Turning it so he could look at the image, Atemu felt his face go slack slightly in surprise, before he started to smile as his mind put the puzzle together.

"I think I did it", he whispered as he gazed at both of their fields, where he had just saved his Gravekeeper's Priestess from an untimely death and where Yami's field only had one Dark Magician with 1700 attack points due to his previously played trap card. There were no trap cards about to stop him and Atemu smiled as he played his Gravekeeper's Spiritualist in attack position. "By playing her, I activate her effect to fusion her with another monsters on my field or my hand and I choose to do so with my Gravekeeper's Visionary in my hand", Atemu declared while he placed both cards into the graveyard in order to summon Gravekeeper's Supernaturalist from his extra deck.

"Because I used my Visionary together with the Spiritualist, my fusion monster gains 1200 extra attack points. I place my Priestess in attack position as well and I place this card face-down for good measure, before I attack your Dark Magician with my Supernaturalist", the tanned Neko continued while glancing at Yami to see if he would have another hidden move up his sleeve, but his roommate's monster was destroyed, which left him wide open for a direct attack and Atemu smiled as he took it. His smile only brightened as the pale teen returned the smile with a proud one of his own and Atemu chuckled as he had finally won one of their games.

"That was amazing", Yami congratulated him while laughing with him and Atemu couldn't help himself as he let the unfamiliar feeling course through his veins. He had never felt this way before in his entire life. Not this elevated or happy or proud of his accomplishments and he continued to grin as he gently picked up the fusion monster that had made it all possible.

"I have to admit, it also felt amazing, so thank you for teaching me", Atemu said and he glanced up at his roommate with another smile on his lips and Yami chuckled again with another bright smile of his own.

"You're very welcome and I'm glad you liked it so much. I never thought I'd find someone else who'd be in this game at the Youth Centre, or any kind of game really, so thank you for wanting to play with me", the pale Neko replied softly as he shuffled his cards again, before he had to stifle a yawn behind his hand. It was already the umpteenth time he'd done it with Atemu either starting their yawning session or following him into it and the tanned Neko did it this time too. They both tried to hide it behind their hands, before Atemu flattened his ears slightly as he wasn't sure if he'd survive another round of them playing.

"Might as well stop when I'm at the top, right?", he asked softly as he gently placed his deck inside Yami's box and although black ears folded themselves inside Yami's hair as well, the pale Neko followed his example with a nod of his head.

"Definitely, as I think you'll beat me again next round because I can't see the differences between my cards anymore. Although I do hope you'll want to play again?", the teen asked softly and rose-red eyes watched him for a moment, before Atemu nodded as he'd like that very much. It gave him something else to think of instead of the memories that always tried to resurface and he smiled as he helped Yami clean everything up, prior to the pale Neko getting off his bed.

"I'd like that very much, Yami, and I promise I'll let you win next time", he said teasingly and they both laughed, before he grew rather serious and curled his tail tightly upon his lap. "Although... I have to warn you that... Yes, I have enjoyed myself and yes, I want to duel with you again, but I am not someone who grows attached. I can't", Atemu whispered while his ears stayed hidden in his thick tri-coloured hair and he tensed slightly as crimson eyes watched him. It was as if they were searching for his soul, if only for a moment, before Yami smiled and nodded.

"No need to apologise, Atemu, I understand completely. Although I'm not too sure about you beating me next time, I'll try my best to oppose you", the pale Neko countered and a grateful relief flooded through the tanned teens veins while he glanced at Yami, before he nodded with a small chuckle at the same time the unfamiliar competitive side reared its head with interest.

"You can try", he commented, before he sorted out his sheets as he had to yawn again. He could see Yami followed him immediately, accompanied by a satisfying stretch of his slightly too skinny body, before the pale Neko curled himself up in his self-made nest of blankets, a pillow and his toys.

"Would you mind if I leave the light on?", was his soft question, even though his eyes were already falling shut, but Atemu hummed softly as he didn't even notice anymore while his head was filled with possible strategies for their next game. It was why he briefly opened his eyes to glance at Yami through their open bookcase, only to see crimson irises gleam with a small plea, and he gave a near invisible smile as he closed his eyes again.

"Not at all, Yami. Leave it on for as long as you need", he answered, because if the pale Neko understood his reasons for not getting attached, than he could be just as understanding towards his roommate's fear of the dark. Especially as he was answered by a grateful purr coming from across the room and it lulled him to sleep slowly as he hoped to draw the right cards again next time. Maybe they could even play a longer game as soon as the opportunity would arise, although Atemu wasn't even aware of his thoughts anymore as that one briefly came to the surface in his dreams.

Yami merely smiled as the other teens breathing evened out and he continued to purr in gratitude while his sleepy mind was finally at ease. Every shadow was a little less frightening and while he could still hear every sound from within the house, he could also focus on the other Neko slightly. It made him feel safe, to a certain extend, and the pale Neko curled himself up some more in his nest as his body came to rest. Because it was more than all right to sleep and the pale teen continued to purr softly through the night.

/\/\/\/\/\

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this chapter and if you have the time, please leave a review. As stated before, I hope the Duel made some sense, but the beginning of their future friendship has been made. Next up is them shopping for new clothes and stationary, so see you then, byebye!


	3. Shopping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone and welcome back to another chapter. I finally, finally managed to finish this one and although it's a lot of information and introspective moments, I truly enjoyed writing it. There will be some more background information shared in this chapter in regards to both Yami and Atemu of which I hope you will like to read.
> 
> Enjoy!

Gazing at the articles of clothing in the mall, Atemu gently picked out another turtleneck like the many previous ones he had picked out before. Sure, he also had a couple of new hoodies and another pair of jeans as well as a few new vests and jackets, but the turtleneck shirts were his life savers in regards to unwanted questions. Most of his tops were black, with a few accents of red or blue in them, while his jeans were mostly coloured a dark blue shade as well. In that regards, his school uniform wasn't that bad with the blue slacks and jacket. He could also easily wear his turtleneck underneath the white dress shirt, which luckily had a high enough collar of its own as well.

Shopping was actually all right, even though Mary tried to offer him some colours in his wardrobe and had a hard time in understanding the word 'no' when it came to asking questions. She tried the same with Yami, but would get little answers in return as well, although Atemu couldn't help but swish his tail in gratitude as the pale Neko kept his distance from him. Only sometimes would crimson irises meet dark rose-red ones, but other than that, nothing of their night spend gaming was revealed and the tanned teenager swished his tail again while picking out another turtleneck from the rack.

"Atemu?", Harold asked as he gazed through the shop and black ears flattened themselves into thick tri-coloured hair while the tanned Neko rolled his eyes. Granted, the adult male was less annoying than his wife, but still acting like a police officer on patrol. If he even moved so much as an inch out of Harold's sight, the man would start calling his name as if he was a lost puppy.

"Over here", Atemu called back rather harshly, because everyone was working on his nerves and there were too many people inside the store to be actual comfortable. Some woman at the till had even dared to suggest he was these people's son... He was no one's son, an unwanted being left for dead which someone else had unfortunately succeeded in reviving; only to give him the worst kind of life afterwards.

"No need to bite my head off, I was just wondering where you had wandered off to. Would you like to fit some more clothes?", Harold asked and Atemu sighed as he tried to be impartial like Yami. Somehow, even though it was a mystery as to how, the pale Neko seemed to be indifferent to everything around him. He was polite, yet firm, when denying these adults the answers upon their questions and he almost seemed to blend in with his surroundings as if this was normal for him. The problem was that the tanned teens emotions had already reached their limits.

"Then stop treating me like a lost puppy! I'm seventeen, I know what I'm doing, so back off!", Atemu barked as he knew he could never treat this as a 'normal' thing. No one had cared for him for his short god-damned life and now all of a sudden there were people trying to dote on him? They could take that doting and shove it up where the sun didn't shine, for he didn't want to have it and the tanned Neko hissed warningly as Harold came closer to have a more private conversation.

"Atemu, please, we're only worried about you and we don't want for you to get lost. We know you're smart enough to mind your own business, but being part of this family means we watch out for one another. That means I won't let you wander off", Harold said, although he sighed when the tanned Neko snorted at him defiantly.

"Right, because if I wander off, you won't get the money you currently will for 'taking care of me'. Don't dote on me, I know how you people think and I don't like it. _Back off_ ", Atemu warned with another hiss while his tail thickened the more his anger and fear grew. He wouldn't let this man get close enough to lock him up or beat him again. He'd fight, like he'd done in his previous home and he'd win again. If they saw him as a feral cat, he'd truly become one to save himself from the pain and misery he had endured more than enough.

"We're not like those people, Atemu, and you'll come to realise that in time. We don't expect for you to trust us immediately or for you to understand that we're here for you, but we are. Nobody in our house will hurt you ever again and some day you will realise that while you live with us peacefully. Although until that time comes, we'd appreciate it if you could try and temper down on your rude behaviour. There is no need for you to use that against us", Harold said, but all he received in return was another hiss while Atemu kept the clothing racks strategically placed between them both.

"Don't even dare to think I'm part of your psycho family! I don't belong to you and never will, so back off!", the tanned Neko snarled while he could feel every muscle in his body tensing in order to show the first one who dared to go against him what his claws could really do and he hissed as Harold tried to round one of the clothing racks, before giving up. He even held his hands up in surrender at the same time he sighed softly, but Atemu continued to growl as he wouldn't take the act. These people were lying, they were always lying and he hated them for it.

"You'll see we're different eventually, Atemu, there's no need to be threatened. Our home is safe for everyone who lives with us, and that counts for you as well. Promise", Harold said, but the tanned teen snorted at him again defiantly, before he watched how the adult backed off slowly. As he did, Mary came over to see the distress, but Atemu stayed where he was to watch them talk and nod to one another. Almost as if they were agreeing upon something and he growled while watching the display, before he hung the shirts he had picked up earlier back upon their rack. This party was over, he was not going to get into one of those dressing stalls again and he continued to growl in warning while following them to the till.

Black ears flicked towards his growl slightly as Yami came up to him with his own small bag of bought goods, although there were very little. As Atemu glanced at it, the pale Neko gave a small shrug, before watching Mary pay for her new clothes at the same time Harold was watching over them. The tanned teen understood the hint immediately, before they left the mall and went towards a book shop to buy him all the stationary he could need. Even Yami bought some new things he could need, while remaining quiet for most of the day. All the words leaving his lips were either 'no, thank you' when he didn't want to answer a question and 'thank you' when he was grateful for Mary buying something for him.

They luckily decided against having lunch together and instead drove home for the day as they had everything they needed and Atemu smiled wryly as he felt like a girl currently with his three full shopping bags, albeit one with stationary he didn't even know he'd need. A new calculator, pencils, notebooks, pens, erasers, a different set of rulers and other drawing materials he had had once before. In another home that had wanted to show the world how good they had been to their children, which had all been a lie. All of it had always been a lie and Atemu sighted softly as he flicked his tail. He had also been given a new phone as well as a laptop and it worried him. What would they expect in return for all these 'gifts'? Answers to his past he wouldn't give? A beating in which he'd keep his mouth shut?

Not that he would. He'd scream bloody murder while gauzing their eyes out for hurting him, especially as he was currently stronger than when he had been little. He had eaten well for the past three days and he'd take everyone on who would dare to touch him without his permission; which was something they'd never get either and Atemu grumbled deep in his chest as every worst-case scenario made it to the forefront of his mind.

"All right, we're almost back home. When we do, why don't you two empty your bags while we'll set Atemu's new phone and laptop to the charger? Afterwards, we'll have lunch and then we can get everything installed so you'll be ready for Monday. Especially as I hope Emily will be able to drop both of your books off at the house this afternoon as well", Mary said while they were rounding a corner and rose-red eyes gleamed as the youth centre came into view.

"Yes ma'am", Yami answered softly from the seat besides Atemu and the tanned Neko glanced at his roommate, before he contemplated on jumping from the car. At least that would safe him from a beating and if he did it good enough, he'd kill himself too... but was it worth it? Had he really survived and fought for all these past years only to jump from a car? Snorting at himself, the teen decided it wasn't worth it and that he'd fight everyone again if they would dare to touch him, which was why Atemu remained seated until the car was parked upon the driveway and was out of it before everyone else could even move. Grasping his bags with new clothes and stationary from the trunk before either adult could come up with some trick to make him accept the bags from them, he hissed as they stared at him.

"It's all right, those bags are yours, Atemu. Now, why don't you go unpack and we'll get the rest set up for you?", Mary asked as she watched the tanned Neko sway his tail with his ears flattened into his hair and he snorted softly, prior to following up on her question. He didn't say hello to Lisa when she came over to greet them and only when he was upstairs in the shared bedroom, did he try to relax some muscles. Although he stared oddly at the staircase when a soft chirrup came from it, before Yami emerged into the doorway.

"Did you just chirrup?", Atemu asked in disbelief, because what could be funny enough for the latter to make such a sound? Or was he trying to make fun of him, for if he did, the teen would show his roommate he was not to ever dare do that again. Yet, he calmed down slightly as Yami smiled while entering the room with his own bags, prior to setting them atop his desk.

"Yes, I did, because I didn't want for you to have another heart-attack like last night. You were tense and clearly ready to scratch my eyes out if I'd scare you. I like my eyes, so I'd like to keep them", Yami countered with a slight tilt of his head that almost dared Atemu to come at him and feel that he could fight back, but the tanned Neko released a deep sigh, before he plopped down on his bed.

"Yeah, whatever", he muttered with another swish of his tail, before he rolled his eyes at himself. "Thanks", were his next words, because even though he didn't want to grow attached, there was no need to be rude to his roommate who only wanted to protect himself. Atemu could admire that and he sighed again while he urged for himself to try and calm down. Being here, with these people, made him feel on edge and it made him feel like he had to be ready for the worst to come. As if he had to see through their lies and deceit in order to be truly safe, but would he ever be?

Flicking his ears towards the staircase when he heard footsteps on them, Atemu hissed in warning while Yami tensed as well with his tail swishing from left to right. His crimson eyes were focused upon the door while his hands was folding his new set of underwear, but the pale teen relaxed ever so slightly when it was just Mary showing up in their doorway. She smiled at both boys as they continued to stare at her, although the tanned Neko eased up on his hiss when he realised she wasn't a threat. He could take her, as he wasn't a little kid any more and he flicked his ears back into his hair while losing interest in the young woman. She was still on his mind, as he was guarded, but not as important as him trying to calm himself down.

"Emily just arrived, Yami, with all of your books for school as well as your laptop and other things you asked for by texting your brother. Can you help us unpack her car?", Mary asked with a small smile and Yami nodded as he finished folding, prior to leaving his things upon his bed so he could follow her downstairs. It made the silence even greater, but Atemu appreciated it for a moment while he took a deep breath and started on folding his own new collections of clothes. It was odd to have all of these things in such abundance suddenly, because he hadn't for such a long time and he gently took the price tags off prior to placing everything in his closet.

There were two sets of his school uniform, shorts for PE with shirts he loathed considering they had a low collar, a massive amount of underwear which made him roll his eyes, socks, his new jeans, turtlenecks and other tops as well as new shoes; both for sports as well as fancy ones and a second pair of sneakers of which he already owned one because of Harry. It made him feel stuffed while glancing into his closet, where he had also stored his towels and other bathroom utilities, but he wasn't sure if he should be grateful. Would they use these new things against him? Would these people lower themselves like that just like the other ones had done in the past?

If so, they could have all of these things back and Atemu snorted as he closed his closet, prior to setting up his desk with his new stationary. As he did, his ears flicked towards the door when he heard another chirrup and he glanced at the entry, before Yami showed up with his arms carrying a lot of heavy and thick books. "You chirruped again", the tanned Neko commented while watching how his roommate steadied himself at the same time the pale teen, as gently as possible, placed the books atop his desk on the other side of the room.

"Yes, did it work?", Yami asked with a curious expression and Atemu sighed as he had to admit it had. With the chirrup, he had been prepared for his roommate coming into the room without it freaking him out because the latter was naturally silent. Unlike the other household members, the tanned Neko knew the other teen wouldn't make a sound on the staircase unless he'd fall off it by accident and it was why he nodded gratefully to answer Yami's question.

"It did, actually, and I'll have to try to implement it as well", was his gentle response, because he wasn't sure if he could even chirrup to begin with. He could snarl, hiss and growl as those were the main three sounds he had used in his entire life, but seeing Yami smile gratefully was quite possibly worth it to come up with another sound. If only to help out someone of his own kind.

"That would be appreciated, although I am sorry to mention Mary would like you downstairs right now as well, because Emily also managed to pick up your books from school. By taking mine out of the trunk, yours have been somewhat uncovered", the pale Neko admitted with a slightly guilty smile, but Atemu couldn't be angry with him as it wasn't his roommate's fault for him having to live here. It wasn't Yami's fault that he was on edge with everyone else surrounding him and it wasn't the other Neko's fault that he didn't like it to be touched. It was _their_ fault and Atemu hissed as Emily wanted to shake hands with him as soon as he'd wandered downstairs.

"Yes, Harry said you didn't like it to be touched, but I was hoping a handshake would be all right. As it is, because Yami lives here too, Harry and I have had a word and I'll be taking over your case from this day forward. It's a pleasure to meet you, Atemu, and together with Mary, we'll try everything in our power to help you heal", Emily said, although she was met by mere growling as the tanned Neko didn't reciprocate those feelings at all. It was why she turned to the centre's owner while both teens started to unload her car and they both sighed as Yami took out a suitcase while Atemu picked up his first box filled with books.

"They're definitely not the same, but do they get along?", was her soft question as she glanced at Mary and the latter looked at her with a small smile.

"That would be very hard to say, considering they've only been sharing their bedroom for one night. Give it a little time, as even those closed off will eventually open up. They've both been hurt by society and don't trust us at all, which is not uncommon, but not everyone requires the same approach", the other woman answered and Emily sighed as she knew that. She had seen these situations far more often, although she had never been hissed at either, as both Nekos were her first case. She had tried to gather information from colleagues and had been given a few tips, but if they would really work was up to her solely. The teens weren't to blame and it was why she sighed as she wasn't allowed to help. Especially not as rose-red eyes glared at her rather darkly and Yami had already turned her down firmly by claiming he didn't like it when people touched his possessions.

Which was why the pale Neko placed his suitcase down in their bedroom as soon as he had lifted it up the two flights of stairs, prior to going down as quickly and silently as he could. He received a small glance from his roommate whilst rubbing his hurt shoulder slightly after lifting another heavy box of books, but he shook his head with a small smile as he was actually fine. The puncture wounds given to him by Atemu's teeth just stung every now and then, especially because he had been lifting his belongings from the ground floor to the attic, but it wasn't bad. Not like other things his body had had to endure in the past and crimson eyes flicked towards his abused ear slightly when their owner passed a mirror.

Shaking the thought from his mind, Yami gently picked up the last bag he had asked if Yugi would pack for him and he smiled as Emily closed the trunk of her car afterwards. Thankfully his brother had been able to help him out with his things, as the latter was the only one allowed to touch some of his possessions, and had only done so after repeated texts saying it was all right. Especially as he needed these things right now, although with his latest bag he was asked to move into the dining room area so his laptop could be connected to the youth centre's internet just like his phone had been done.

Atemu had been told to be there as well, although the tanned Neko looked highly uncomfortable with the fact he had to allow for someone to get close so he could be taught the workings of a laptop, even though he seemed completely lost at what to do with the technology presented to him. His black ears were flattened into his hair while his bushy tail flicked from left to right and if Yami had to guess, the other teen was about to jump out of his skin and tear someone's head off. Although he was surprised Atemu didn't while he tried to work his way through the laptop and the pale Neko sighed as he was glad he didn't have to undergo the same teachings.

"You'll get the hang of it, Atemu, don't worry", Cho said as he fetched a drink from the fridge and although he received a glare from the tanned Neko when the latter felt he was being mocked, he merely returned it with a small shrug. "What? You're not the only one who's been abused, considering I didn't even know what a phone was until I got here and look at me now: beating everyone at racing", the teen replied to the glare, although that didn't lessen Atemu's hostile posture. It made Cho shrug once more, before he made his way back into the livingroom where the others were seated as well.

"You're not the best, Cho!", Alexander answered and there was laughter among them as Yami could hear them argue and wrestle at the same time, which he could hardly believe was happening. Then again, he had never minded for Yugi or their friends to touch him either, so perhaps that was the same with the others living in this house? Plus, he wasn't so much afraid of these people, just cautious and the thought made him look at Atemu again while the latter tried to find his way through the maze of applications the laptop offered him. The tanned Neko was different, as he had taken caution in and of itself to a whole new level in order to threaten everyone away from his side.

Smiling slightly to himself as he had seen the other Neko's softer side, the one that had been weary with sleep and had felt guilty for biting him out of defence, Yami actually didn't mind the more assertive way Atemu behaved. Deep down, he wished he could do it and be just as rude without giving a care in the world about what other people thought of him reacting like that, but he also knew he couldn't. Not while his mind kept putting things in perspective constantly, which meant none of these people were bad. They were just trying to help, but he didn't need them to and that irked Yami to the point of keeping his mouth shut. There were others who needed their help, others who were in more precarious situations than he had ever been, so he shouldn't even be here. Someone had believed for him to be an emergency, but was he really?

Besides, he was needed elsewhere... He couldn't just sit around here all day and do nothing. He wasn't meant to do nothing, considering there was always something to do. Laundry, the bathroom, the house, the shop, inventory, vacuum-cleaning and cooking. Then there were the dishes, his homework and helping his grandfather out because he was old and needed to be cared for. Currently though, there would be no one, because he had been doing it for as long as he could remember and Yugi had other things to worry about. Sure, perhaps he hadn't learned how to do everything at the same time, but they were his tasks and his responsibilities. He couldn't shy away from them, no matter how much he wanted to and Yami sighed once more while he thanked Mary for connecting his laptop to the internet.

"You're welcome, Yami, although before I forget: all the laptops stay downstairs during the night. This so there is no gaming, but sleeping after the lights go out", the woman said and he nodded in understanding even though he itched to tell her no. He could understand, she was looking out for him, but his laptop was his possession. What if someone else tried to touch it? What if someone tried to break in to see his personal files or destroy his homework? It was why he altered the password as soon as no one was looking, just to make sure only he could enter the device, before closing the top in order to unpack all of his other belongings which he had left upstairs.

As he did, he made sure all of his books had survived their travel, prior to gazing at the bookcase to see what side he could use. There were a total of sixteen squares open for use and if the books were of normal size, they could even fit on both sides of the shelf. Still, he wouldn't just pick a side without consulting his roommate and it was why he started on his clothes as well as his desk. He was really glad he had convinced Emily enough so she had seen sense in giving him his own stuff, especially as that would mean less costs towards his re-homing; which was already silly to begin with. In his own bedroom back at home, he was less afraid of the dark and within it, he knew all the noises. He knew the way Yugi would breathe and he knew the sounds his grandfather would make when his arthritis would make it difficult to move for him. He knew the kitchen, he knew the pantry, he knew everyone's favourite dish and now... He was thrown into the chaos of a large sized broken 'family' that he didn't want to know about, because he wasn't like them.

Was he hurt? Sure, and sometimes beaten too, but not like them. He wasn't an emergency case and after they had arrested his father, they should have just let him stay at home. But no, the entire shop had suddenly become a liability and crimson eyes darkened slightly as he remembered what had happened yesterday. Emily had come in, had spoken with his grandfather quite harshly and had taken Yami from his home. It hadn't been a safe home, but now it could become one, right? He wasn't even allowed to visit and even though he'd still see Yugi at High School because they were in their last year, he hated it.

Looking up slightly as he could hear grumbling coming from the staircase, pale lips couldn't help themselves as they curled upwards at the same time Yami glanced at his running shoes. He hadn't asked Yugi for them, but he still liked the thought behind it, before he turned to Atemu coming into the room only to grumble once more deep inside his chest. It was a nice rumble, even though it warned him of doom and despair, but the pale teen didn't care while he let his roommate be. They had made a promise not to pry and he was very intent on keeping it until the other Neko would like to open up himself.

"Sorry about that", was the soft mutter while the tanned teen had plopped himself down on the bed and had taken to staring at the ceiling with a pillow atop his stomach. Probably to use it as a missile against the one who would dare to come in unannounced and crimson eyes gleamed while Yami kept his ears open.

"That's all right, vent yourself by all means", he answered instead while he could see how nails dug themselves into the fabric of Atemu's pillow. Rose-red eyes were dark with different emotions while the bushy tail flicked in annoyance upon the bed with an angry tapping sound and Yami could feel how his own slender appendage followed into the mood.

"I'm venting all right", Atemu growled, although there was something about his voice that made Yami feel at ease while he continued to fill up the drawers inside his closet with underwear and socks. The shelves were currently reserved for tank tops, shirts, hoodies and pullovers while his hanging side contained his vests, cardigans, jeans and his school uniforms. It was why he had bought only a small amount of clothes at the mall as well as a few new stationary he had also needed if he'd still live at the Game Shop. He missed the bell, which would ring all day on a Saturday, and he missed the voices of children as they gazed at the different items for sale.

"I apologise in advance, but I'm going to mimic you", he suddenly said as he gazed at Atemu while turning towards his bed and rose-red eyes flicked to him in question while Yami gently picked up a toy from his bed. "Your scratching makes me want to release some steam too, although... Now that you're here... How would you like to divide the bookcase?", the pale Neko asked while he ran his nails across the surface of the biggest canvas-toy he had and he shuddered as it felt good. Just the right amount of stress relief, to be fairly honest, and he curled his toes in delight when Atemu didn't object. His roommate merely glanced at the bookcase, prior to shrugging so he could continue to let his mind wander into the deep dark ends it liked to go to.

"Doesn't matter to me, whatever you like", he muttered, because he really could care less. It was just a bookcase and nothing that meant a whole lot to him at the moment, although he still watched Yami as the latter stared at the sixteen open squares.

"Are you left- or right-handed?", the pale teen asked softly with a tilt of his head and Atemu couldn't help it as he frowned, because what kind of question was that?

"Right", he answered either way, because he was already too tired to even bother with being rude and he closed his eyes slightly while he listened to Yami setting up their shared bookcase. The sound was calming and took his mind off of his anger towards the idiots living downstairs. It truly made him wonder if he would even survive living here, simply because there were more rules than he had ever thought to exist. Or at least, other rules he hadn't ever heard of before and Atemu sighed as he dared another glance to Yami setting up his side of the bookcase at the same time he still scratched the toy. The tanned Neko had to admit to the act calming him down as well, considering there were plenty of faces he could imagine to scratch up in the process and none were left with a pretty sight.

"Atemu?", was the soft call of his name and the teen felt his mind drift back to the present, before he gazed at his roommate with a raised eyebrow in question. "Not that I need a verbal consent and I know you're not interested, but in case you do miss me, I'm downstairs to make some of my homework. Tomorrow we'll go groceries shopping at a supermarket with the entire household and that's why I'd like to be finished beforehand", Yami continued while he had already packed his books, calculator and more into his school bag as if he was going out. Rose-red eyes glanced at it for a moment with a slight amount of fear growing within them, before their owner nodded.

"Sure, I'll be down in a bit too considering the laptop and I aren't quite finished yet. Good luck with all that", Atemu answered as he eyed the book bag again once more and Yami smiled as he nodded, prior to moving down the stairs into the dining area. Sure, he'd prefer to do his homework without the distractions of the other teens cheering in the livingroom, but he also liked the space the kitchen table offered him and it was why he laid all of his books out in a specific order. Starting with math first, as he didn't like the subject at all, Yami sighed softly as he set to work and curled his tail up on his lap to hide the tip flicking back and forth nervously; especially as Luke entered the kitchen and dining area as well to get something to drink.

"Homework on a Saturday? Why don't you come sit with us and play a game?", he asked while Mary was making a late lunch in the kitchen for everyone at the same time she was writing down her groceries list for tomorrow. Yami shook his head at the invitation, however, because he really had more important things to do.

"No, thank you", he added as he returned his focus back upon his homework, even though it was troublesome with Luke staring at him while the latter filled his glass.

"All right, whatever you want, although we won't bite you know. It's like Cho pointed out to your roommate, we've all been through the same kind of trouble, so there's no reason to treat us like we're not worth anything. We're all the same", Luke answered as he closed the fridge and although crimson eyes met the blazing rose-red irises from Atemu wanting to enter the dining room area as well, he turned his gaze upon Luke instead with anger burning in his veins.

"On the contrary, Luke, not all of us are the same and we've all experienced something different. It's rather worrying you want to generalise to hurt that has been done to all of us, simply because we are forced to live under the same roof. That means you have no respect for your fellow house mates and if that doesn't come through to you: _I said no_ , which means that I'm _not_ interested and that should at least mean something in this house, shouldn't it?", Yami hissed while he glared at the taller teen and although the latter was looking down on him by height, the pale Neko looked down upon Luke because he was simply overpowering his opponent.

"You asshole", Luke growled out and Yami bared his teeth with another feral hiss, before Mary set her plate down atop the table rather harshly in the means to intervene.

"Yami, please, there is no need for you to insult others living in this house or to fly off the handle like this. We have to work together to make this a liveable home for everyone and I am quite certain Luke didn't mean the words he said the way you interpreted them", the woman said while she glanced at the pale Neko still glaring daggers at the taller teen in front of him.

"Then perhaps he should have listened to me the first time I declined his invitation, or does 'no' mean 'yes' in this house as well?", Yami asked heatedly, but he didn't look at the woman. She wasn't a threat, but the other teen was and he hissed again as Luke narrowed his eyes back at him in return.

"Please, Luke, just go back to the living room and I'll talk to Yami. It's all right", Mary said while glancing at the teen she had been caring for longer than the Neko seated at the table and she sighed as he left with a small nod, prior to turning to Yami who fixated his glare upon her now that his main target was gone. Rose-red irises were gone as well, with the door to the hallway closed and he let the woman try to reprimand him about what he had said even though he knew better. Nobody here was the same, he wasn't even supposed to be here and that's what made him angry. The fact that all the hurt in the world was generalised by one person saved from whatever he had gone through in his earlier years and Yami hissed as he clarified his reasoning for lashing out as soon as Mary stopped talking.

Atemu merely listened from the opposite side of the door as the argument continued and he growled softly as his mind couldn't help itself but agree with his roommate. Perhaps both Yami and him had lashed out without having a reason, but some people liked to be left alone before they'd be drawn into the mad world of household rules and whatnots. Plus, nobody had a right to start prying and Atemu continued to growl while he waited for the talking to cease. His roommate was right though, they weren't the same. His pain wasn't like Cho's and his fear wasn't like Yami's. Each of them had their own memories and while he knew every last one of them had been hurt, that wasn't a reason to categorise them under the same label. _He_ wasn't a label and as soon as the dining area became silent, he peeked around the door once more to find Yami back at his homework. Yet, his crimson eyes were hazy, as if he was working on auto-pilot and the pale teen only looked up slightly in order to address him sitting down as well to figure out his new laptop.

Yami also probably didn't mean for him to catch it, but Atemu could understand it either way as a very soft purring reached his ears. It was too soft for any humans to hear it and the tanned Neko sighed as he recognised the sign of Yami wanting to comfort himself. Not out of his anger, but because he was remembering something he didn't want to thanks to the mad woman leading this house. It made him all the more aware he would probably not like living here until his eighteenth birthday next year and it was why he started to purr ever so softly as well. Not to comfort himself, but the other Neko at the table trying to perform his homework and as crimson eyes briefly met his own gleaming rose-red ones again, Atemu realised it was already happening; he was growing attached, even without him wanting to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all very much for reading and if you have the time, please leave a review. There is a small sidenote I wish to give in regards to the ending: cats do not only purr when they're happy. They also do so when they are in discomfort or pain and while I know Yami is currently not in any physical pain, he is mentally and therefore purrs in order to comfort himself.
> 
> I hope that makes it a little more clear as to why he purrs. Atemu merely joins in for the above mentioned reasons. Again, thank you for reading and I hope to have the next chapter up soon, although I'm not making any promises. Byebye!


	4. First day at School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm really sorry for the long wait and I have no excuse for it either. I was just distracted with other things and still am, but I also finally finished this chapter.
> 
> So, without further things to say: enjoy!

**Chapter 4**

/\/\/\/\/\

He was doomed. Nothing could get him out of this mess and Atemu held his breath while reaching for the deck of cards that were his own. It would take a miracle draw to get the card he needed and crimson eyes were watching him intently from underneath Yami's crown of blond bangs, because they both knew it was a slim chance he'd win against the horde swarming the pale Neko's field. It had been an intense game so far, with them changing their decks as his roommate had retrieved more cards from his home, and they were now playing on a full field with their forty-card deck containing multiple strategies. Atemu had even won a game, but as he turned his drawn card, he knew he had to give this one up.

"I end my turn", he whispered and triangular ears moved towards him, before Yami's slightly pinkish-coloured hand moved towards the deck to draw. Rose-red eyes followed it, although Atemu was highly aware of the fact his roommate's hand hadn't looked that red and raw prior to him returning from his run, but it currently made his doom all the greater as the pale Neko released his horde of monsters upon him to deplete his lifepoints. It made the tanned teen shake his head as he sighed with his head held high. He was getting better at this game, to be fairly honest, and it's why they had upped the challenge as well. Sleep hadn't want to come either and Atemu liked the distraction the game offered him while eventually making him grow tired.

"That was a good game", Yami commented as he shuffled all his cards together into a neat pile and the tanned Neko nodded as he agreed with his roommate. "I am really glad I went to the game shop to retrieve them and that you were willing to play again too", the pale teen continued and Atemu smiled as he gathered his given cards as well.

"Aside from the fact it's a good distraction, I am really enjoying this game. Thank you for teaching it to me, although I don't want for you to get in trouble because of it", Atemu commented, because when Mary had mentioned that Yami had been away for his run for quite some time after the latter had returned, the pale Neko had lied to her about where he had been. Apparently, his roommate wasn't supposed to go near his previous home and it had made the tanned Neko frown because if that was the rule, than why did Yami go either way? Shouldn't he _not_ want to go there? He had been taken from it and then put in their current 'home' as an emergency placement... so it was confusing to say the least, but Atemu didn't ask. He had promised not to pry so Yami wouldn't ask him uncomfortable questions either and he'd keep his word even if it would kill him out of curiosity.

"Don't worry, I won't get into trouble for it as long as we both keep our mouths shut. I did go for a run and you don't know any better", Yami commented with a teasing smile and Atemu held his hands up in slight surrender as he really shouldn't care. The problem was that he did and it brought his mind back to Saturday afternoon when both him and Yami had softly purred in an attempt to give each other comfort. It had been hard to gain that feeling, especially as he still loathed his new laptop and he had been a little bit terrified by the amount of homework his roommate had been showing him... It had been quite some time since he had actually spend a full week at any kind of school, so it was almost a miracle he could be put into Yami's senior class. He'd take it, considering he didn't want to be stuck at any kind of tuition for longer than necessary, but it was daunting.

"You're right, I know absolutely nothing", Atemu replied and the pale teen smiled, prior to hiding a yawn behind his hand. They had made themselves cosy upon the tanned Neko's bed once more, like they had done the previous two nights as well and although they would have school in the morning, sleep hadn't been able to creep up on Yami yet. Probably because he was simply worrying too much and he sighed as he was glad the other teen wouldn't talk about what he'd done. Forbidden or not, he had to go back to the game shop, because he had wanted to see his brother after being taken away so suddenly and he had wanted to cook for his small leftover family like he had been taught to do since he could reach the stove.

Others wouldn't understand that and especially not those who had ripped him from his home in the first place. They had taken him from the environment he knew so well and Yami sighed as he still wasn't sure if he truly belonged here. Or at home... Or anywhere else for that matter. He smiled, however, as he watched how Atemu tried to stifle a yawn amidst shuffling his deck and the pale Neko chuckled, before getting off his roommate's bed gently. "I'll let you sleep, especially as I should get some too. It's going to be a long day tomorrow and I don't want to fall asleep in class", Yami admitted as he collected his cards and put them in the box, but when Atemu tried to hand the cards he'd been holding, the pale teen gently shook his head while smiling some more.

"You can keep those, as I'd really like for us to continue our duels. I really enjoy them, so you can have them if you want", Yami said softly while he pulled his blankets off Atemu's bed in order to properly put them back on his own, but rose-red eyes looked at him hesitantly as he did.

"These are your cards and I can't afford them by any means. Aside from that, I don't want you to gift me something this expensive...", the tanned Neko replied softly while trailing off, because he didn't want to offend Yami by saying it was making him uncomfortable. He knew he couldn't afford anything by himself just yet and that was fine, but that's why gifts like these were, oddly enough, making him squirm.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable... It's just that, by giving them to you for safekeeping, you don't have to re-assemble the deck whenever you would like to play. Like what happened earlier this evening", Yami whispered while flattening his ears and Atemu glanced at his roommate with a small swish of his tail, before he gazed at the deck. Safekeeping? He had never before in his life been able to keep something safe, including himself, so why would the pale Neko hand these to him?

"Safekeeping?", he asked, however, as he liked that thought more than the cards being gifted to him. He didn't want for the other teen to feel pity for him because he had no other possessions than what Harold and Mary had bought for him, but as he glanced back up at the pale Neko, he could only see a warm smile while his roommate hugged his blanket against his chest.

"Yes, safekeeping, if you want. I mean, you don't have to play the game with me and I don't want for you to feel pressured into it, but... Well, just in case we get the time to play again without us falling over due to the amount of homework we'll get starting tomorrow, you can have the cards to keep them safe and easy to be found", Yami answered and Atemu watched the swish of the slender tail while the pale Neko prayed his words were understood. He truly hadn't want to make his roommate uncomfortable, especially not because they hardly knew each other, but had been able to connect through more than just their games. After he had gotten home and had washed himself thoroughly in the shower multiple times, he had helped Atemu with his laptop and that had gone a lot smoother than when Harold had tried it. Still, he was afraid he was going to lose that now by offering the cards to the tanned Neko for safekeeping and, hopefully, as a gift some day when the latter was comfortable with it... It was why he flattened his ears in his hair slightly, even though his damaged one didn't fully comply.

"You're not pressuring me into this at all, Yami, don't worry and... I'd gladly keep these safe for you so we can play again. I am enjoying myself far more than I possibly ever have and I really want to continue that. Plus, I need a rematch now after you've beaten me with such a horde of monsters like you just did", Atemu teased ever so slightly with a small curl of his lips and it grew bigger as Yami chuckled softly with relief. It was a good sound, one the tanned Neko turned his ears to because it reassured him he had said the right thing; especially as he wasn't sure how to put his thoughts into words just yet, but apparently he was getting there just fine. Or perhaps he could just speak easier with Yami than anyone else he had ever met in his short life, but Atemu didn't want to think about that quite yet, because it meant his attachment had grown and he couldn't do that. Not to himself, but especially not to the other teen.

"I'd like to see you try", Yami replied with a daring whisper, before he turned around to make up his bed while Atemu gently stored the deck of cards inside the drawer of his night stand. Afterwards, he made his own bed and gently sniffed the air as soon as his roommate sprayed the diluted herbs atop his sheets.

"Trust me, I will", Atemu commented with a small chuckle, before he glanced at Yami who was slowly covering himself in his self-made nest of blankets and toys like he had done the two previous nights as well. "Leave the light on, it's all right", he said as he could see a hand moving towards the small lamp and the tanned Neko smiled as Yami did so too gratefully. Luckily, their bookcase wasn't that full yet and still allowed for them to see each other and it was why Atemu smiled kindly in return, before turning his own light off. His roommate had helped him and to be fair, the light wasn't such a bother anyway. It were the sounds inside the house he hadn't gotten quite used to yet and at a particular one, he swore he could hear Yami mew from within his makeshift cavern.

If the other did, however, Atemu didn't hear him do it again and it was why he refrained from purring. After all, Yami had to get used to the sounds by himself, just like he had to do. He had to overcome his fear on his own and purring wouldn't help with that. At least, that was what the tanned Neko tried to tell himself, because he had to keep his distance. No good would come from growing attached and there was no reason to either. Yami was a good roommate, but that was all he was supposed to be. They had only recently met, which meant there was a lot he didn't know yet about the pale teen and Atemu sighed in his half-sleep while swishing his tail underneath the sheets slightly. It was complicated, that's what it was and with a nod of agreement, the young teen turned himself on his side and fell asleep.

Only to be awoken by soft rustling and the tanned Neko flicked his ears towards the sound, prior to rolling over slightly with his eyes barely cracked open. Yami, however, was already making his bed and crimson eyes watched him before their owner smiled kindly. "It's all right, you still have fifteen minutes. I'll just use the bathroom to get dressed and then head downstairs for breakfast", were the whispered words and Atemu nodded as he rubbed his face, before he went in search of his new phone to check the time. It read half past six and the tanned teen yawned again as he rolled over and stretched himself with his nails clawing into the mattress. His tail flicked back and forth underneath the sheets like a thick worm and Atemu continued to yawn until he was absolutely satisfied with all of his flexed muscles.

Sitting back up, he shook his head to feel his ears flap against his head, prior to rising from the bed completely in order to turn the lights on. In the bathroom he could hear the flush of water and that's why he started on packing his school bag first. Yami had given him a complete list of which books he had to take with him and he checked them once more as he wasn't about to make a fool of himself on his first day. He also made sure he had his calculator and necessary equipment with him considering they would have math today and Atemu nibbled his lip as he remembered how Yami had, eventually, gotten through his given homework. That particular class would be a complete pain and the tanned Neko grumbled softly as he wasn't sure if he really wanted to go.

The small turn of the bathroom lock was his cue, however, and he quickly gathered his already laid out uniform in order to get dressed now that Yami was finished. The entire house was still silent, although black ears flicked towards a sound from downstairs as soon as the pale Neko heard it. He recognised the sound of an alarm, even though he wasn't sure whose it was. Not that the pale teen remained to listen, as he had more important things to do by getting everything ready for the day. His stomach rumbled as he did, but he stayed in the bedroom to check up on his missed message and to wait for Atemu to return. Oddly enough, the tanned Neko understood his fear of the dark and it extending to other parts of the house as well, even though it was highly ridiculous. Nobody was afraid of the dark at the age of seventeen and they didn't need for other people to walk with them, but his current house spooked Yami just as much as the game shop had and somehow... Atemu understood that.

"Done", the tanned Neko said as he returned from the bathroom and he hung his towel to dry upon his rack, prior to picking up the very heavy book bag. If this would keep up, he wouldn't need to worry about going to the gym like the other residents of this house and Atemu glared at the offending object which made Yami chuckle softly. Still, he couldn't deny his own wasn't heavy either and the pale teen sighed as he picked it up from his desk in order to follow his roommate to the kitchen. The other bathroom was already in use as well and they could hear Mary talking to her husband, but the downstairs area was pleasantly silent for now and Yami quickly set his bag down besides his chair in order to set up the dining table.

Rose-red eyes gleamed as their owner helped out and both teens were already waiting for their toast by the time Mary arrived as well. "You two are quite early", she said with a glance to the table which had been set up for everyone to use and she smiled as she merely filled a bowl with yoghurt and muesli for breakfast. She received small nods and hums in return for her comment while the Nekos continued to eat their own meals.

"I'm glad you two eat so well. Almost makes me wish the others would do that too", she continued gently, but slitted pupils stared at her as if the teens were wondering why she was even trying to come up with a conversation, because there truly wasn't anything to say. If he had to be honest, Atemu thought she was just mumbling about her own short-comings and he glanced at Yami slightly to see what the other would do with her attempts of making them talk. Yet, crimson eyes were gleaming with something he couldn't quite place, as if the Neko wanted to respond but also didn't see the reason to it and pale nostrils flared slightly prior to Yami tilting his head.

"It's a shame they don't enjoy breakfast like we do", was the soft answer in return, for what else could he say and the pale Neko quickly took another bite of his toast. He loved eating, aside from the fact he had to because his metabolism was different than those of humans, and especially breakfast was most appreciated after a night of sleep and no meals at all.

"It is, but apparently they prefer sleep over food", Mary replied gently with a small smile on her lips, although both Nekos were drawn towards Harold entering the kitchen to get himself some breakfast too, prior to black ears moving to the sound of alarms going off and the other teens waking up.

"Good morning", the adult man greeted as he made himself a bowl of yoghurt as well and both Nekos greeted him in return, prior to continuing their breakfast. "It's going to be your first day at school, Atemu, and I hope you'll enjoy yourself. Harry got you into the senior class and although it might look daunting, there is no shame in wanting to take a step back if you think you won't be able to go through with it after a few weeks of trial. You'll also have us to help you out with your homework and school will help you out as well. But you have to ask, so please do so when you're in need of help", Harold continued and he glanced at gleaming rose-red eyes, before Atemu nodded.

"If they'll listen this time, I'll ask", he answered, considering he knew not everyone understood his questions for help. They hadn't in the past and it was why he had stopped asking altogether. Still, his answer was accepted by a nod, before Harold practically shovelled his food inside his mouth while he checked his briefcase at the same time. When the other teens came downstairs, there was a distant greeting shared between them all, prior to them getting their own bags ready as well. It was a moment of weird hysteria Atemu had never experienced before as the other teens were walking around in order to get themselves ready and he was glad he had had the sense to pack most of his bag the night before with Yami's help.

Surprised, however, he glanced up when Yami handed him a small box filled with sandwiches and he frowned as the latter smiled, prior to their attention being caught by the mass hysteria moving into the kitchen. His roommate flared his nostrils again in slight annoyance, before he sighed and gathered their used plates and utensils. "I thought they'd do that...", he whispered softly while Atemu was still staring at the prepared lunch-box and the tanned Neko blinked while the other teen cleaned the entire table.

"Ah, wait-", Atemu muttered as he got out of his stupor, but like liquid, Yami flowed passed the other teens to reach the dishwasher without accident. "You shouldn't have made lunch... when? And why?", he asked when the other returned though, because there was no reason for his roommate to make him lunch. Aside from the fact he could do it himself, what would the other gain by doing this for him?

"When you were talking to Harold, although I hope you'll like it. They're just a couple of sandwiches with slices of chicken breast, cheese and a little mayonnaise. As to why: that's why", Yami mentioned while nodding his head at the other three teens trying to prepare their own lunch and he quickly gathered his own box in order to pack it inside his bag while Atemu frowned while glancing at the other residents of this house. They behaved themselves like a pack of apes and the tanned Neko snorted, before he followed Yami into the hallway to get his jacket.

"Thanks, although you really didn't need to do that. You could have just told me to get some myself", Atemu replied, but that made Yami raise his eyebrow in question because he wasn't so sure on _if_ his roommate would take an order from him. Rose-red eyes merely gleamed knowingly as their owner realised he wasn't so sure himself either, before he looked at the time and frowned again.

"It's a little early to wait for the bus, isn't it?", he asked and Yami hummed with a nod, although he hoisted his bag up to his shoulders anyway, prior to manoeuvring the strap away from the small puncture wounds Atemu had given him a few nights ago. They didn't hurt anymore, but a heavy book bag was mostly unpleasant, although he smiled reassuringly when the tanned Neko glanced at him with a worried tilt of the head.

"I'm fine and yes, it is too early, but if we're the last stop the bus is more than likely to be filled up with more teens than my ears want to handle inside the already noisy moving vehicle. Plus, I checked online and it's barely a fifteen minute walk, so I'm not taking the bus unless it's pouring with rain", Yami answered and he flicked his tail slightly while he could hear the chaos inside the dining room. "And I don't want to share a bus with them just yet", were his next words, prior to rolling his eyes towards the ceiling and Atemu couldn't help himself as he chuckled softly. It made pale lips curl upwards with another smile while the pale Neko made his way towards the door to tell Mary he was going to walk to school.

Still, he couldn't help himself as he continued to smile with Atemu following him out of the house and into the chilly October air. The other teen had said he wouldn't grow attached and Yami had understood that, he even wanted to respect that, but it was getting harder after him trying to help Atemu with his things for school as well as them playing their duels for the past three nights. Sure, he wouldn't push the tanned Neko to do something he didn't want to do, but he was good company even though their walk was pretty much spend in silence. Their tails swayed from left to right as they continued to watch their surroundings and the pale teen smiled once more as they made it to the school building before the bus did.

"Yami!", was the excited call of his name and black ears flicked towards the voice, before both crimson and rose-red eyes watched a young teen skidding to a halt with a big grin on his face.

"Hey Yugi, good to see you again. Atemu, this is my twin brother, Yugi", Yami introduced both teens to one another and amethyst eyes gleamed even more while the tanned Neko kept his distance. It was a surprise to see the shorter man with his tri-coloured hair, of which the latter missed the lightning-bolt like bangs adorning his black mane, and the tanned teen swished his tail almost nervously while he couldn't help but notice that Yugi wasn't a Neko like them. He was human, albeit one who sported the biggest grin in his life and Atemu bit his tongue as he thought it was odd. The shorter teen seemed very happy and the tanned Neko couldn't help himself as he tilted his head when something hit him. A notion he hadn't thought of before, but Yami had been taken from the game shop... Why was Yugi allowed to remain?

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Atemu, and I hope you'll duel me too one day. I mean, with all the cards Yami took with him yesterday, he must have gotten you addicted as well", were the gentle spoken words, although Yugi continued to grin and tanned lips curled in a small smile while the pale Neko rolled his eyes playfully.

"Although I'm still learning, yes, it's very addicting. Perhaps we can play one day", Atemu answered, because he really should keep his distance. Yugi, however, wasn't like the other residents of the house he had been dropped off at and the tanned Neko sighed as he tried not to be rude. The latter didn't know, _couldn't_ know what was going on inside his head like the other inhabitants of his new 'home', and it was why the teen tried. Plus, he didn't want to insult Yami's sibling unless he was absolutely asking for it and considering he wasn't currently, Atemu figured he might as well try not to get into a war with his roommate.

"Awesome, thanks! Will I see you in class?", Yugi asked his brother and Yami nodded, before he swished his tail at the same time they walked closer towards the main entrance.

"You will, although I'd like to drop Atemu off at the secretary's office so he can get his schedule and library pass. Plus, I don't want for him to get lost on his first day, unless he doesn't want to follow me?", Yami asked with a teasing smile and flick of his undamaged ear which Atemu returned with a swish of his own tail.

"I'd like not to embarrass myself or get lost in this maze. I'll let you lead me again", the tanned Neko replied with a small snort, considering he had been following Yami all along on the way to school. After all, he wasn't familiar with the neighbourhood just yet and getting lost was never a good idea. What if someone would find him? Hurt him? Or worse? He'd rather not have that happen again and that's why Atemu happily followed his roommate, prior to them separating their ways.

What surprised Atemu, however, was the fact there were a lot more Nekos at the school than he had anticipated and he glanced at everyone passing the office while heading for class, until he was called inside for a quick briefing of the rules as well as the schedule. It annoyed him as he was told what he could and couldn't do by adults who were there to 'help' him as they so eloquently stated and the tanned Neko sighed while he followed the secretary towards his locker. He was allowed to put a few heavy books inside as he didn't need them for his first period, prior to following her towards the first classroom he'd be bound to.

"My apologies mr. Hao, but I am here with the transfer student", were her gentle words after she had knocked on the door and Atemu flattened his ears against his head while he followed her inside; only to be met by the other students. They all swerved their heads from Yami to him and back, before murmuring among each other excitedly and the tanned Neko felt his tail thicken with annoyance as prying eyes continued to gaze at him.

"Yes, I've read the notification. Welcome to my class, mr. Sennen. Would you like to introduce yourself?", the teacher asked and Atemu glared at him for even proposing such a ridiculous idea, before their owner realised the older man was probably insane. Who else would teach to a bunch of students at a high school?

"No, I'd just like to start", was therefore his answer and mr. Hao nodded, prior to appointing him a seat next to a black-haired teen. The latter was a Neko and it was why Atemu made sure the other could read every sign there was to make sure his classmate wouldn't approach him like he would with any other student. _He_ certainly wasn't like anyone else in this god-forsaken room and it was why he grumbled for good measure as well. The other Neko merely flattened his ears against his head while tucking his tail in and Atemu felt a sense of satisfaction while he sat down.

"We were working on page thirty, mr. Sennen. As I go along, I'd like for you to write down my notes on this historical time period because they will be discussed in the upcoming test and won't be found inside the book", mr. Hao said as he watched his student sit down and the young Neko gave a small nod, which was taken as an answer before the teacher restarted his lecture. As he did, Atemu tried to divide his attention between listening to the old man at the same time he scribbled the already given notes into his once empty notebooks. It made him realise how long ago it had been since he had written this much and it made his fingers ache in a different way than he was used to.

The lecture itself was rather interesting, considering mr. Hao had a pleasant voice with which he told many stories in regards to the discussed history at hand and Atemu glanced up slowly from his notebook with a sore hand when the adult declared what their homework would be. Aside from having to read through the three chapters they had discussed, they were to answer the questions belonging to them and write a small essay of at least a thousand words in regards to a certain character Atemu had never heard of before. But then again, this was quite possibly the first proper history class he'd had in quite some time and the tanned Neko sighed as he let himself be overwhelmed for a moment at the same time he packed his bags. Math was next and he followed everyone to their next class while all the other students were released from their classrooms at the same time.

Hissing as he felt threatened, Atemu bared his fangs when someone bumped into him and he snarled at being surrounded. He couldn't go anywhere and it felt as if he had his back against the wall. That alone made him hiss again as he tried to get out of the mass of students, of which some he could easily knock out if he swung his fist hard enough and he growled with a threatening gleam in his eyes as someone grasped his hand. Crimson eyes stared at him, however, and the tanned Neko felt his anger dwindle down, prior to being tugged through the hallway.

"Ignore them, Atemu, or else you'll be swallowed up and late for class. Everyone thinks about themselves only here, so you'll have to do the same", were the pale Neko's gentle words while his tail swished back and forth at the same time he moved passed a couple of squealing girls as if he was made of liquid. Atemu followed him as best as he could, even motion-wise considering he didn't want to be touched by any of _them,_ before he sighed in relief as he entered the relatively quiet classroom. "If you want, you can sit with us at the bench. We'll have a group study today", Yami continued gently and he flicked his ears towards the call of his name which made Atemu glance at the large table surrounded by several seats. Aside from Yugi, four other teens were seated at it as well, but considering the other work-benches were just as full, the tanned Neko dared to take his chance.

"Where did you go?", Yugi asked softly while making space for both Atemu and his brother while crimson eyes gleamed warmly. At the same time, rose-red eyes were still dark with anger and annoyance while his roommate's bushy tail swayed left and right. At the sight, Yami gave a very soft purr which only the tanned Neko could hear and Atemu glanced at him, before exhaling with a deep sigh.

"I got caught up in the migration, sorry", the pale Neko answered with a smile, before he rose his hand towards his companion. "Guys, this is Atemu, my new roommate. Atemu, this is Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu and Shizuka. We often work together on projects and especially Shizuka is a master mind on them", Yami continued while pointing at the present teens respectively and the tanned Neko swished his tail at the waves and smiles he received by all of them.

"Pleasure ta meet ya. Call me Jou for short", the lanky blond teen said and Atemu watched him for a moment while he took his seat beside Yami. The other male was a brunet with his hair pointing upwards like a shark-fin, while the girl seated beside him was a brunette as well. Her blue eyes were gleaming with excitement and confidence at the same time she tapped her pen against the book before her. The auburn-haired girl with stormy-grey eyes smiled at him too, much like the brunette beside her did, until her attention was caught by the teacher clearing his throat.

"I'm not a master mind", she whispered quickly, as if she was embarrassed, but Atemu had to deny her his agreement with that statement as she was more than just a little 'talented'. It definitely made him feel unprepared for any assignment their teacher handed out to them to solve and he was glad to actually be inside a group. They talked and explained things much easier than the teacher did, which still resulted to the same answer and Atemu sighed as his head was already full. It was definitely going to be like Yami had said: a long, _very_ long day.

/\/\/\/\/\

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all very much for reading and if you have the time, please leave a comment. See you all in the next chapter, byebye!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading this first chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. If you have the time, please leave a comment, as it will be most appreciated while I'll go back to my research ;) See you all in the next chapter, byebye!


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